Raw Forgiveness
by kittykritik
Summary: Kagome had always thought that this would be easy. Inuyasha loved her, and she loved him, and that's all that mattered. It seemed like a fairy tale ending to some great and wonderful story. But, she never thought she would ever find herself like this.
1. Snapped

The old, jungle green Toyota gave a slight screech as he pulled into the driveway of their small home. He shifted into park and wearily moved a dirty boot off the brake.

He blinked slowly a few times at the light that reflected on the garage door. Even his eye lids drooped with exhaustion from the day's work.

His day had been filled with unwanted emergencies and near-death experiences… angry bosses and crying children… yelling, screaming, laughing… all too much. Way, way too much for just one day, night and early morning.

'I could really use a nice hot meal about now…' he thought with earnest, his stomach rumbling on queue.

He turned off the truck, unbuckled his seat belt and headed for the house. The lights were off, so he knew his mate had to be sleeping. He unlocked the door and strolled inside, heading straight for the kitchen.

* * *

Kagome heard him the moment the door opened. She couldn't sleep… her accidental nap from earlier that afternoon prevented any such feat. So, she decided it would be humorous to see Inuyasha's reaction when he realized there was no dinner in the refrigerator, waiting for him like usual.

He had once again forgotten to take out the trash. This was his punishment.

She curled up in the bed with the pillow in her lap and leaned comfortably against the wooden frame. She was nervous, but found herself feeling a bit of eagerness for the very vocal altercation they were about to have.

'If this is what it takes to get his attention… 'She thought. 'So be it!'

So, when she heard him coming up the stairs before she heard the token yelling tantrum he had when he didn't get his way, she couldn't help but feel just a little scared.

* * *

'That… _bitch_…'

He could not believe the note he found on the shelf of the refrigerator where his mediocre, home-cooked meal should have been.

_If you can't remember to think of others and do the ONE thing I asked you for the morning, then I don't know if I can think of you. I hope you enjoy your ramen._

That was it. That was the final straw. And, he was pissed.

He wanted to hit something at that point. He wanted to howl and curse and wake up everyone within a 100 mile radius. But he knew better. That's exactly what she wanted.

He slowly ascended the stairs, knowing that she had to be awake. He could practically smell her fear from the hall before he approached the door.

'That's right… be scared.'

He opened the door slowly to see her sitting directly in the middle of the bed, looking at him with an unreadable expression. She had mastered the skill of masking her fear in the feudal era, though he wasn't sure why she tried to use it on him. He was her mate. He always knew.

He studied her for a long moment. Her rumpled night shirt. Her jet black hair all set in rollers with stray pieces escaping in all directions. Her pouty lips with a tiny, almost inconspicuous scowl to them. Her long, creamy legs folded in an Indian style in front of her. His mate. His wife. His love. His problem.

'This is what I'm stuck with for the rest of my life. A crazy human child who can't seem to understand a fraction of what I have to deal with everyday… or the importance of a home-cooked meal… or the fact that those ugly rollers make her look more unattractive than I have ever seen her… I'm stuck… forever…'

Inuyasha just shook his head and strolled over to his side of the bed. He picked up his pillow, yanked the sheet from under the blanket, and promptly left her to her devices.

* * *

Kagome couldn't believe what had just happened. Was that… Inuyasha? _Her_ husband? Surely that had to be some imposter, because the Inuyasha she knew would have yelled or fussed or at least spoke to her. He just… left.

She didn't understand. Wasn't he upset? Well, of course he was; he hardly ever slept away from her. He said it calmed his beast to be near her, whether he was angry at her or not. So… why…?

Kagome could feel her resolve returning. No, that hanyou was going to talk to her whether he liked it or not.

She leapt from the bed and scurried into the hall. "Inuyasha?"

She spotted him just in time to see his back turning into the living room of their cozy residence. She went down the stairs after him, her bare feet patting on the hardwood floor.

"Inuyasha?!" she protested, rounding the corner and stomping to his direction on the couch. "Don't ignore me!"

She watched as he put the pillow and sheet on the couch and climbed on, turning his back to her without a word.

"Inu… Inuyasha… Just talk to me you stubborn jerk!" She exclaimed with her hands on her hips.

He continued to ignore her, but she could feel her hackles rising and she knew she was getting somewhere.

She plopped down on the loveseat and faced him. "You know if you'd just _talk_ to me we can put this while thing-"

"What, what, _what_?!" Inuyasha suddenly roared as he whirled around to face her. "Damn it, Kagome, what the fuck do you want?!"

Kagome almost fell out of her chair in shock. Where had _that_ come from? "I… I, uh… you-"

"I, I, I what, Kagome?!" He interrupted and mocked her. "Oh? You don't know what to say? Is that what it takes? Well maybe I should yell more often if it gets you to _shut the fuck up_!"

That snapped Kagome out of whatever spell she had been under. She was outraged. "Now, wait just a minute! I-"

"No, Kagome. I will not 'wait just a minute.' I will not listen to you bitch tonight. Frankly I don't want to hear it. No, _you_ will listen to _me_."

"What makes you think I'll just let you yell at me without defending myself?!" Kagome countered. She could hardly believe he had the balls to…

"You wanted to hear me talk, right?" he said, sitting up in the chair and turning to face her, deep scowl threatening to tear into his face. "Then, you better shut up and listen, because I'm only going to say this once. Are you going to listen or not?"

Kagome's mouth hung open in shock. Never had he spoken to her like this. Never. But, she felt like if she stopped him now, she'd never figure out why. She closed her mouth and simply glared at him, waiting for him to continue with silent approval.

"I work two jobs to keep up with all the bills we have to pay and to keep you happy and safe. You think that's easy? You think all I do is go to bars all day and laugh it up with my co-workers? All sunshine and fucking rainbows?! You don't know _half_ the shit I went through today!

"And you know what? When I got home I was looking forward to sitting down to a hot meal and then coming up the stairs to talk to my wife, maybe even have some fun with her, if she was awake. But, when I saw that damn card in the fridge… for the first time in my life I found myself so angry for a moment… I regretted mating you."

Kagome gasped, horrified. Surely… he didn't mean that.

"Yeah, I know, right?" he remarked in obvious sarcasm. "I immediately thought, _huh_? Why would I ever think that about the woman I loved? Sure she can be childish and petty and selfish and she doesn't even consider herself the reason why we haven't had sex in over three weeks and she spends money like it grows from my ass… but so what?

"Needless to say, that thought alone made me so mad and I wanted to yell at you and dominate your ass until the world came to an end, but you know what?" he said, pointing an accusing finger in her direction and glared at her as he rambled on. "I knew that was your plan, you conniving bitch. I knew that's exactly what you wanted from me, the predictable, angry hanyou. But, I ain't giving you that. I ain't giving you shit, 'cause I'm not putting up with it anymore."

She sat there, flabbergasted. It was too much for her to handle. That's what he thought of her? Even though part of that plan was true… she just wanted his attention again. Lately, that had been the only way they had sex; when they were angry at each other. She figured that he'd show her who was alpha and then make her make him something to eat, like before. It never occurred to her that she was… hurting him.

What did he mean he wasn't putting up with it anymore?

"What… what are you saying?" Kagome forced out, tears reaching her eyes.

Inuyasha ran a wearied hand through his bangs and sighed. "I don't know, Kagome. I really don't know. I just know that something's got to give and it's not me. I've been working my butt off… if things don't change around here then… I don't know…"

"You… aren't leaving… are you?" Kagome started panicking. She gripped the ends of her nightshirt. "You can't. We're ma-"

"We're mates, I know, damn it!" her husband growled out. "Don't you think I know that I'm stuck with having to deal with you?!"

Kagome flinched and whimpered unintentionally, fisting her hands further into her shirt. He visibly calmed down a bit, but it seemed to be only because he was tired. He bowed his head in exhaustion.

"Look, Kagome… let's just for this one night… just be alone, okay? I just want to get some sleep. I don't want to deal with this right now, and I certainly don't want to hear whatever it is you feel like you need to say. We both know that if I don't stop you now you'll go on for ages and I'll never get any sleep. For once, stop thinking about yourself and just go upstairs."

Kagome was crying now, but not sobbing. She let the tears fall from her eyes, but she didn't utter a sound. No, that would only make things worse. Trembling, she wordlessly gazed at the top of his head.

"What?!" the angry demon exclaimed, lifting his head back toward her again. "You want me to _hold_ you or something? Tell you everything is going to be alright? News flash, Kagome: I don't even want to _look_ at you right now."

She felt like someone had stabbed her in the chest, as if he had physically grabbed a knife from their tiny kitchen and buried it in her heart. It hurt _so badly_. And as much as she wanted to talk to him, yell at him, touch him, hold him… she knew it was futile. She would only push him further away.

Maybe tomorrow…

As she slowly got up and left the room, she could practically feel his flashing red eyes follow her up the steps.

* * *

So, I had this idea for a story when I was doing my last experiment, _That Girl_. I ran it by a few people and they seemed to enjoy it so I thought, what the hay? Why not publish it? I hope you enjoyed it; if you did kindly leave a message after the beep.


	2. Broken

Kagome's eyes cracked open, the morning sun streaming in the bedroom through the blinds. She blinked a few times, and then reached up to wipe away the dried tears from her eyes and cheeks.

Her head pounded, causing her to wince and sit up slowly, rubbing her forehead.

'What… what time is it?' she wondered drearily. Her squinted eyes searched the room and landed on the electric clock on the dresser. 10:14 am. Inuyasha had already left for work.

Her heart clenched as she recalled the night before and the hours she spent crying. Never had he spoken to her like that. Yelled at her… _looked_ at her like that. She felt like her world was falling apart.

She dragged herself from her comfortable bed and toward the master bathroom, not bothering to straighten her clothes or remove her messy, chaotic hair from her face. She staggered through the threshold and gripped the edge of the porcelain sink, her head dipped toward her feet and her eyes tightly closed. Slowly, she lifted head towards the mirror.

What she saw hardly shocked her. She looked… like…

"_Wow, Kagome, you look like shit," _she heard Inuyasha's voice echo in her head. Of course, had Inuyasha been there, he would have been joking and smiling at her, maybe even showing her that trademark smirk of his.

Kagome began to tremble and tears leaked from her eyes.

'This is all my fault…' she thought. 'I pushed and shoved and whined… I never thought… I never dreamed he…'

Kagome sunk to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest, sobbing. Kagome knew it wasn't all her fault. She knew that her actions over the past months weren't with ill intent. She just wanted his attention. With all their connection as mates, none of it seemed to be enough for him to notice how she felt. Sure, she could have gone about it differently, but he didn't have to explode on her like that, right?

She knew better. He had been telling her for a long time that he was not happy, in his own way. Inuyasha wasn't usually one to just come out and say how he felt. That's why she followed after him that night; she knew she would have to fight him to get him to talk. So, when he let all of those words flow from him with such unrelenting anger, she was stunned.

'I have to fix this…' Kagome thought.

* * *

"Oh, _crap_… what happened?!"

Daisuke grinned nervously and scratched the back of his head, trying to find the right words. "I, uh… well, you see-"

His clearly angry hanyou friend didn't have the patience for his excuses. "I'm going to give you three seconds before I start firing people."

Daisuke dropped his hand. "Not… not _me_, right?"

"One…"

The lanky brunette flopped down into the chair across from his friend's desk, dropping his yellow, faded hardhat on the floor. "Okay… so, I was walking around on level three, right? You know, just checking on things. Then, I heard this loud, shattering sound, like something out of a movie, you know? So, thinking someone must have messed something up, I ran to the stairs and up to the fourth level and… well, basically all the glass sheets for the lights were on the floor… and Roberts was standing there on the ladder like he didn't know what the heck was going on."

"_Roberts_?!" Inuyasha exclaimed, "What was he doing up there by himself?! He's just an intern!"

Daisuke ducked his head a bit and wrung his hands. "_I_ thought he could handle it…"

"_Daisuke_…"

The seemingly scared, twenty-some man lifted his head to smirk at his practically growling, dark-haired boss. "Yes, kowai-san?"

Inuyasha's eyes became dangerously narrow before he closed them and let his face relax.

"I really don't need this right now…" he said before banging his head against his desk.

Daisuke frowned. He hadn't noticed his friend's visual distress before. But, as he Inuyasha lifted his head, Daisuke saw the bags under his eyes and the glassy look in his eyes.

"Boss man… you okay?"

The glare he gave him spoke for itself.

"Didn't get enough sleep last night? Trouble with the wifey? What's up?"

Inuyasha sighed. He leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the desk, causing his frayed khakis to bunch around his ankles. "Uh… all of the above?"

Daisuke whistled. "What happened, man? She nagging you again?"

"I don't even want to go into it. Let's just say I said some things… well, I was pretty mad at her. But, strangely enough… I don't feel a damn thing."

He crossed his arms in front of him as his frown deepened. "Whoa, there boss man… what do you mean you don't _feel_ anything?"

His boss scoffed and shrugged. "I don't. I don't feel bad for yelling at her… I don't feel sad or anything… she deserved it."

The young construction-worker studied his friend. Something wasn't right. He looked into his eyes and saw deception.

Inuyasha may have been good at fooling normal people, but he wasn't normal. Daisuke was an expert at reading people.

"Look, Inuyasha… I don't know what's going on between the two of you, and you sure as hell aren't going to tell me, but I want you to know something. That woman _loves_ you. I see you two together… she looks at you like…" he trailed off, not really sure he could use the right words.

"I know she… _loves_ me…" he mocked him. "Kami, she says it everyday. But, who cares how she feels when she does stuff like…"

Inuyasha cleared his throat and leaned forward. "Listen, if you were married, would you want your wife to constantly bother you about fixing stuff around the house and taking out the trash and bills and… I mean, that type of stuff needs to be handled, but she never knows when to _shut up_. And then she'll do stuff to purposely disobey me, like spend tons of money of clothes and stuff for the house when I tell her not to. The bitch has the nerve to punish me! Like I'm some kind of child!"

Daisuke was confused. "Wait, you said she treats you like a kid, but what's all this stuff about disobeying? I mean, she should be able to do as she pleases, not have you command her around. You have to negotiate… isn't that what marriage is?"

The troubled manager's face froze. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, he muttered. "You don't get it… you _wouldn't_ get it, would you?" he rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

"Hey, maybe not. But, what I do know is you need to go home and apologize."

The man visibly became angry. "What?! Why? I didn't do anything wrong! Last night was the last straw. I work and work and all she does is complain. I don't need that shit!"

"I don't know!" The man said. "I just know that when a man and a woman argue, it's usually better if the guy says sorry. Sure makes the lady happy. Heck, it always helped me."

"Feh… what do you know?"

"Enough to get some great make-up sex," he replied without hesitation, cracking a smile.

That brought a small smile to the weary man's face. "Come on, you idiot. Let's go handle this problem…"

* * *

Inuyasha didn't get home until one in the morning. The lights were out all over the house, much to his surprise. Kagome usually kept a habit of leaving at least the kitchen light on, waiting for him. He took off his worn boots, turned on the light in the kitchen, and reluctantly headed toward the refrigerator, silently hoping he wouldn't have to eat ramen for another night.

There is was. A Tupperware container filled to the brim with something that looked like katsudon. His mouth watered while his eyebrows bunched together.

'She made dinner for me… after all that stuff I said to her.'

Inuyasha had definitely been lying to his friend. He could feel his mates sorrow through their mate mark since the night before. He felt dreadful. It was like a constant pain in his soul. And as much as he wanted to rush home and hold her close and bury his sensitive nose in her soft, slender neck, he wanted to stay away from her just as much. He needed her to know how serious he was.

It wasn't like with a normal human man and woman in a marriage. He was the alpha. She _was_ supposed to obey him. Sure, he gave her room for compromise, but he word was supposed to be law. Unfortunately, with the combination of his half humanity and his challenging work schedule, he didn't always have the energy or the drive to do things like make sure she didn't spend hundreds of dollars on designer jeans. The demon in him didn't always have the upper hand in his relationship.

Inuyasha popped the container in the microwave and set it on one minute. He chuckled absentmindedly when he thought about how annoying it was to learn how to use it. He couldn't understand how the heat it didn't melt of the whole box… no wood, no fire. And yet, putting metal in there could create some huge problems. He learned that lesson before they got their second one as a gift. Now, since most of his dinners had to be heated in the microwave, it was second nature for him.

'That was back when we were newly mated… newly married… back when we were happy. Kagome still smiled a lot and didn't nag me so much… we had a lot of sex back then too…'

He frowned as he took his food out of the machine and began to eat.

'That was years ago. I don't know what changed her so much… maybe we should have stayed in the feudal era longer. Or… maybe we shouldn't have come here at all…'

* * *

Inuyasha slowly opened the door, mindful of the squeak the metal hinges created. He stepped into the shadowed bedroom, watching the bed the entire time. The room smelled of stale tears and his mate, whom he could tell had not showered. He didn't mind the smell of her slightly musty scent; it was something that reminded him of their days in his original time. It was the salty evidence of her crying that he couldn't stand.

At first, the tired half-demon wasn't going to sleep in the room at all, but it was his demonic nature that lead him up the stairs. He hadn't seen her or felt her presence the entire day, and it wouldn't be long before he became testy and irritable without the connection to his mate. He wouldn't be able to sleep without her body near his. He needed that night with her; he needed to touch her, no matter how angry and disconnected he felt.

Realizing she was sleeping, he unbuttoned his uniform shirt and kicked off his dress pants. He carefully climbed into the bed next to her, trying his best not to disturb her out of sleep.

His attempts failed. She soon moaned opened her eyes, then swiftly turned over to face him.

He flinched. The look on her face… so many mixed emotions. Shock, hope, love… desperation. Not to mention the bags under her eyes… it was too much to handle. If it hadn't been for the food in the refrigerator, he would have thought she never left the bed.

His face hardened and he saw her expression lose some of the faith it had moments ago. Kagome had always been emotional. It was no wonder she would be so upset.

"Kagome…" he began, letting the sternness in his voice come full force. "I'm sorry for the way I handled things last night. I overreacted a little and might have come off the wrong way. But, I meant _every word_. You're not going to rebel against me anymore. You and I both know what I can be like if I'm forced to _really_ show you who is alpha. So, let's just get some sleep and we can talk about this in the morning. Okay?"

She stared at him for a while, seeming to battle in her mind regarding what to do next. It was then, as he looked into her eyes, that he realized just how… vulnerable he was to her. She saw him for everything he was. As his mate, she was the only one who could see his demonic looks while everyone else could only see the enchantment placed on him by the elderly miko from the past. And yet, she couldn't see how much she was pushing him away from her.

She finally opted for silence and slowly turned over to face away from him.

Inuyasha was pleased. She was learning. He got comfortable on top of the blanket and pulled her body close to his, gripping the pale pink nightshirt she was still wearing from the day before. She shifted her shoulder so her neck was more exposed, as was proper for her position as mate, and he buried his face in her neck, breathing in deeply. He exhaled slowly, enjoying the intoxication after too long of being away from her.

He nipped the skin on her shoulder closest to her mark and her back arched as she softly moaned. Her backside pressed into his crotch.

Inuyasha winced and immediately regretted it. He knew if they continued, they would be doing something he didn't feel was appropriate. Too many emotions would get clouded and he would forget why he came in the room in the first place. All he wanted was some sleep and to ease some of the tension.

He loosened his grip on her, ignoring the scent of disappointment that wafted into his nose and the erection that he was getting. Soon, exhaustion began to catch up with him again and he began to drift into darkness.

"_I'm sorry, Inuyasha…"_

He heard her soft, broken voice before he fell completely asleep.

* * *

Hey, thank you everyone for the reviews and the support. I really appreciate it. I had a review asking for no profanity and lemons. I don't know how much I can promise. Honestly, it goes against Inuyasha's nature not to curse, and they are married. I think the mating is apart of their connection. HOWEVER, I refuse to cross the line into vulgar when it comes to the two of them. I will try to find a happy medium where everyone is happy.

I hope you enjoyed, it was kind of long. I don't know the average length this story is going to have so don't get used to it :)

mew...


	3. Scared

Kagome trembled under the blanket. Not because of cold, but sheer, unadulterated sexual frustration.

While it seemed as if Kagome should have been happy to have him so close, at the moment she was not. For him to hold her like that was torture, and the fact that she couldn't sleep was even more of a nuisance.

Kagome thought for a moment whether she should be naughty and grind against him on purpose so that he could wake from his sleep and sate her needs, but she thought against it. She didn't want to push her luck. It was a miracle he was even in the bed.

'No… actually I should expect this from him,' thought the distressed former miko. 'Of course he would think of himself before me, climbing into bed and getting his "fix" then going to sleep like some kind of junky.'

Kagome huffed. Normally, when she felt the need to solve a problem such as this, she would reach behind the dresser and pull out her trusty box filled with her very own do-it-yourself kit. Unfortunately, Inuyasha's soft hug around hr waist had turned into a vice grip while he slept and she couldn't even move to even figure out how she could do it without him hearing her.

So, she was stuck laying there. Horny and restless.

As an attempt to draw her mind away from her current predicament, she thought of the past couple days.

'I wonder why he got home so late… I've never once questioned the reason behind his late hours. He works on a construction site and as mall security. Neither of those jobs warrant long hours into the early morning…'

Kagome shifted a little, then tried to turn her body around. Inuyasha grunted in his sleep, but didn't wake.

As she faced him, she gazed upon his frowning face, noticing the little details that made him so unique. Those bushy eyebrows. Soft, average-sized lips. Slightly sunken cheeks. Fierce, golden eyes that seemed to burn into her soul.

'Eyes…'

Kagome gasped when she realized she'd been caught staring at him. Still, she could tear her eyes away from him as his eyebrows bunched together and a frown graced his lips. She could practically hear the rude remark before it left his mouth…

Which is why the silence made her worry so much.

Inuyasha continued to glare at her, but said nothing. His eyes bore into hers, as if he was trying to communicate what he was thinking to her without wasting words. It was too bad she couldn't understand the message.

His eyes softened before he fully released his grip on her and turned fully away from her.

Kagome laid there frozen for a second, trying not to let the tears of rejection that gathered in her eyes fall. She closed her eyes painfully, trying to keep a grip on herself.

"Thank you…" she heard him whisper.

Her eyes flew open. What did he mean?

"…for dinner. It was… good."

Relief flooded through Kagome's being. For the first time in the last 48 hours she felt… accomplished.

'Tomorrow was Saturday; Inuyasha is off work until 2 in the afternoon. Maybe, just maybe, things could be okay.'

She inched closer to her husband and laid a small hand on his sculpted back, mindful of how he tensed. With a sigh, she removed her hand and turned from him, gazing out the window in hopes that sleep would somehow mind mercy on her and take her away.

* * *

Inuyasha had woke long before his wife did. He decided that he would take advantage of his time alone and head downstairs to go on a date with his second wife.

The computer.

It had taken a while for Inuyasha to get used to the idea that so much could happen in such a small box. But, once Kagome had taught him how to use it, he basically hated being without it. There were days at work when he would wonder how the computer was doing and if Kagome was messing with it. Did a virus try to get on it? Was someone sending him an email? Was there some new video out that he hadn't seen?

Anyone would think his obsession with the computer was ridiculous and irrelevant to life, but he didn't. Not when there was something on it that would cause him to stay up for hours to meditate on.

He managed to get out of bed and down the stairs without his mate waking. He tiptoed through the living room and sat down in the comfy, black computer chair. His hands practically shook with anticipation.

Inuyasha moved the mouse to wake the screen up and went to the internet shortcut. He typed in his favorite site. He pressed enter.

There it was, right at the top of the screen. Her new video.

Kiyomi the sinuous had been his vice for about a month now. He would get on his computer in hopes that her site would have a new installation to the various invigorating videos she posted. And this time, she had not let him down.

The scene was at a diner somewhere in the Midwest of America. It was a different guy this time. He had short brown hair and an American face. He had around the same build as Inuyasha, tall and muscular.

Kiyomi had on a waitress outfit, but especially skimpier than normal. Her long, pale legs extended for miles before they halted at her bare, pedicure feet. In this video her hair was curly and bounced softly on her shoulders, which only made him think more of the woman he thought about while he watched the porn star.

Kagome. And well… Kikyo.

When he first came upon her site, Inuyasha couldn't deny the strong resemblance they had. Of course, Kagome's hair was always curly, where as Kiyomi's took on many shapes and sizes depending on a theme. Kagome's eyes eye slightly larger and brighter. Kiyomi's nose was smaller. Kagome's breasts were smaller. Kiyomi was slightly skinnier. The list of little details went on and on.

But, when you didn't study them so hard, they looked like identical twins. And that's exactly what fueled his curiosity to watch the video, and eventually become addicted.

Because Kiyomi never talked back to him and argued with him. She was the submissive bitch he wanted her to be. Needed her to be. Needed Kagome to be. And if Kagome wouldn't give it to him, where else would he get it from?

Inuyasha reached inside his boxers.

* * *

Kagome woke up late in the morning, another painful headache waiting for her as soon as she opened her eyes. She groaned and sat up.

'Another day…' she thought with contempt. 'Hopefully better than yesterday.'

She rose from the bed and grabbed her silk robe from the floor. Since today was Inuyasha's day off, it was tradition that he made breakfast. It had been his idea since they married. He felt like it connected him better with home life instead of working all the time. As long as Kagome made dinner, he made breakfast.

She descended the stairs and went straight into the kitchen, hoping to find that he had still been thinking about her. She walked in to find him sitting at the table, eating cereal from a bowl. Across from him were another bowl and a half-gallon of milk.

Without looking up at her, he said, "I would have made a full breakfast, but you forgot to go grocery shopping." Then, he went back to eating.

Kagome stood there with her mouth hanging slightly open. She had forgotten to go grocery shopping? That wasn't supposed to be until next week.

She rushed over to the refrigerator and glanced over the calendar. He was right. She was supposed to go shopping yesterday. Obviously, with the way she was feeling, she didn't go anywhere or do anything.

Kagome realized that she hadn't really eaten yesterday either. But, oddly, she wasn't hungry at all.

She turned to face her husband and frowned. She could sense his disappointment from a mile away. He loved her cooking.

"I'll… I'll go shopping today," she replied meekly. She then started to go back up the steps.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Inuyasha called to her. "Come and get some cereal or something."

Kagome stopped and turned to face him. "I'm not very hungry."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Stop with the dramatics, Kags. Come eat something; it's almost noon."

Kagome simply stared at him, blankly. She figured if he didn't believe her words, maybe her actions would do the trick. She continued up the stairs.

"Kagome, wait! I wanted to talk to you."

She stopped then and turned back around to meet her tormented eyes with is pleading ones. She walked back down the steps and went to the table.

He gestured toward the chair. "Sit," he requested. A small smirk edged onto her face as a memory flooded back into her head.

Inuyasha sighed, bringing her attention back on him. "Kagome… I don't even really know where to start. Right now, I don't know what's going on between us or… things are just so… stressful. Too stressful. I shouldn't have to come home from work and deal with all kinds of stuff before I go to bed. I-"

Kagome interrupted him. "Could I… say something, before you go on?"

He seemed frustrated, but let her continue.

"I… haven't been the best mate to you. I'm sorry about spending too much money on things, not paying the bills on time… nagging you about the house. I don't mean to be such an old maid but I can't help it sometimes. I don't ask much of you but those few things you sometimes don't do and I get frustrated. I'm here all day and… well, since you won't let me work I'm stuck with the cleaning and the shopping and the cooking… that's all. I bother you so much because… well, because…"

Kagome had never quite had the strength to tell Inuyasha why she acted out so much. He had never been one to tolerate someone telling him he did something wrong. But, the truth was, he neglected her. When they did things it was always about him being comfortable. Him getting what he wanted. Sure he worked all the time, but did that mean he had to treat her like being his mate was the easiest job in all of Japan?

He was harsh toward her with his words and never quite understood or considered her feelings. Mates were supposed to be the most connected type of love, and yet she felt like they were farther away since they mated. How was she supposed to tell him that it was all because of him?

She built up the courage. She waited too long and now she was going to let it all out. "You've been-"

_Ding dong._

Kagome jumped in surprise and Inuyasha growled.

"Who the hell could that be?" he said, launching out of his chair and toward the door. He looked through the looking glass. "Aw, hell!" he snapped.

He swung open the door. "What do you want, Toshiko?!"

"Well, certainly not you, idiot," Kagome heard from outside the doorframe. "Where's Kagome?"

Kagome shot up and went to the door, straightening her robe. "Toshi? What's up? What are you doing here?"

The redhead at the door grinned widely. "Well, what else for, Kagome? I thought we could hang out today, you know? Catch up, have some girl time… you're still in your pjs?" Her frown slipped from her face and was replaced by a fake expression of distain.

"Yes, well…" Kagome began.

"And why didn't you pick up your phone yesterday?" she continued. "I called you like three times. I wanted to see if you were free today so I just decided to try my luck and drop by."

"I wasn't really in the mood for any rendezvous yesterday."

Toshiko frowned. "Yes, and you aren't right now either. You're usually up and running by now." She tapped her chin thoughtfully, glancing between the two of them. "Which means that dog-boy here must be keeping you pretty busy on his day off."

Inuyasha growled beside her as a light blush stained his cheeks. "Toshiko, stay out of our business!"

She rolled her eyes and pushed past the two of them, entering the house and sniffing around like an inspector. "But, this place doesn't smell like what you should have been doing so… that must mean dog-boy did something wrong!" she finished in a sing-song voice.

Kagome tuned them out about then, hardly paying attention as they started bickering.

Toshiko was a hanyou, the only one Kagome knew of besides Inuyasha that was still around in her time. She came from a family of kitsune hanyous who were very traditional. While most of the demons had either died out or were few in number in her time, kitsunes had decided long ago to try and preserve their species. They hardly bred outside of their own kind; only when it was necessary did they mate with a human. Years later, kitsunes still had a good number on the earth compared to other demons. They survived the wars that raged against demons over the years and still tried to keep their heritage. In Kagome's time they still practiced arranged marriages and kept a very proud air about them.

They had every right to, seeing as it was one of their own kind who was a part of the unique that died in the battle to defeat Naraku.

Toshiko, however, wasn't the traditional, proud kitsune her parents were. She rebelled long ago when she decided to go against her parents wishes and mate a human and not the hanyou they had arranged her to marry. She hadn't had much contact with them since.

"Maybe it's the fact that she's finally getting annoyed with your smelly ass! Did you think of that, you mutt?!"

"This whole thing is probably your fault! You're probably whispering all kinds of shit in her ear to make her do what she does!"

'They're blaming each other for what _I'm_ doing? Seriously?'

"Hey!" Kagome interrupted.

They both turned to look at Kagome, rage still present in the both of their eyes.

"I'm going upstairs to take a shower. I'll be ready in a minute."

Toshiko's looked positively satisfied, while Inuyasha's expression went from annoyed to confused. "Kagome? I thought we were… talking."

Kagome looked him in his eyes and realized she didn't have the courage she once had to face him. "We'll talk later, Inuyasha. Besides, like I said, I need to go grocery shopping and once we're done we'll head to the store. Unless you want to have take-out for dinner."

Inuyasha gave her an unreadable look for a while before it settled on acceptance.

'What was that about?' Kagome thought, frowning.

"Sure, whatever, Kagome," he finally stated. "Just don't spend a lot of money."

"Of course not, mate," she said seriously before heading up the stairs.

* * *

Thanks everyone for all the support and reviews. It's pretty great that all of you like this story so much. It's sort of the fuel to make me write faster. I would probably be writing anyway, but I certainly wouldn't feel much of a rush. :) If I didn't reply to your review, I'll try to get to you.

mew...


	4. Blind

Kagome tore the flimsy plastic bag from the roll and fought to find the small gap she could stick her fingers through to open it.

"I don't see what the big deal is, Kagome-san," Toshiko continued. "It's not like there are a bunch of demons out that are going to come after like before with the Shikon jewel and all that. This isn't that barbaric era of his. It's 2009! Now-a-days you just have to worry about burglars and killers and stuff. You don't even have to leave home to deal with that!"

"I know, Toshi…" Kagome groaned as she grabbed tomatoes to put into the bag. "But, Inuyasha feels like he needs to be the one to 'bring home the bacon.' He doesn't like the idea of me working."

"Well, I know that, _honey_," she drawled. "But, how do _you_ feel about it?"

Kagome fell silent as she thought about the day he commanded her to stay home.

* * *

"_So…" he began, scratching his head. "You want me to get a job?"_

_Kagome glanced from him to the pictures on the table. "Yes, Inuyasha. It shouldn't be that hard for you. You're a hard worker and there aren't any demons in this time. We should be able to pull it off if that amulet works correctly."_

_Inuyasha flopped down on the chair, his kimono hanging open. "Yeah, I guess… I just never had to… work with _other people_ like that. So, what would I be doing?"_

_Kagome sighed and closed the album then relaxed in the chair. "I wish I could tell you, mate. But, there are so many options for you. You may have to go on many different interviews. The problem is, you don't have any identification or job experience… we'll have to find a way to make that work. My uncle Aki-san works with construction. Maybe if we talk to him he could work something out. Until then, I guess I can find a job."_

_Inuyasha's pointed ears swiveled in her direction. "What?"_

_Kagome frowned. "I said I would find a job. What? What's the problem?"_

_He looked at her for a while, frowning. "I don't… know if I like that, Kagome."_

_Kagome blinked a few times. "Inuyasha… what's the problem? How are we going to pay bills if one of us doesn't work?"_

"_You ain't getting' a job, Kagome," he continued, sternly._

_Kagome sat up. "I really don't get-"_

"_It don't matter what you get, Kagome. You ain't working. That's my job. We'll manage until then. You're job is to be here, takin' care of home."_

_Kagome grew angry then. "Just wait a minute, Inuyasha! You aren't going to make me into some housewife! I can't just sit in the house all day!"_

"_You won't sit," Inuyasha shrugged and crossed his arms. "You'll be cleaning and cooking, like you're supposed to."

* * *

_

"It doesn't matter how I feel," Kagome muttered. "Inuyasha needs to feel like the alpha. You know how that goes, Toshiko." She tossed a bag of noodles in the cart.

"No!" her distressed friend said, gesturing. "I _don't_ know how that feels because my mate is _human_. I _naturally_ submit to him instead of being _forced_ to. I can't help it, it's in my genes. _You_, on the other hand, are a _human_. Inuyasha knew when he mated you that you would have _human_ needs and feel the need to be independent like a normal, _human_ woman."

"Quiet down!" Kagome harshly whispered. "I don't need the whole store to know I'm mated to a dog-demon. You don't have to hide it, I do."

"I _know_, Kagome," Toshiko sighed. "I'm just… tired of seeing you hurt like this. So... locked up like some puppy in a cage." She grinned then. "Actually, that description makes since."

"I'm not the one acting like a puppy having a temper tantrum; he is," Kagome muttered.

"Well, you can't very well complain, Kags. It's not like you will talk to him about it!"

Kagome halted in the isle and turned to her. "If it wasn't for you and your horrible timing, he would know by now!"

Toshiko frowned at her with her hands on her hips. "Well, _excuse me_! Last time I checked, friends come over the house when they are concerned because their friend, who is usually home because of her _retarded_ husband, doesn't pick up the damn phone!"

Kagome glared at her friend, trying to be angry. But, she no longer had the fight to be stubborn when it came to the ones she loved. She knew Toshiko was right… she just didn't want to accept that she was so weak now. That fiery spirit that she once possessed was gone.

'Maybe that's why Inuyasha doesn't like me much anymore.'

Kagome sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I'm just… frustrated."

Toshiko rolled her eyes and smiled before she continued down the isle. "It's alright, Kagome. I didn't have to say that… I run my mouth too much."

"No… you were right," Kagome responded. "I just can't… why can't I stand up to him anymore? We used to fight for hours. But, it always ended up good. I mean, it never made us hate each other. We became closer… but now, it seems like all I do is agree with him and nag him about the things he won't do. He says I won't submit to him, but I feel like I have."

"That's because there is only so much a human woman can submit. It's not in your nature to step back and let him take the reins. But, it's _his_ to _make_ you step back."

"What else does he want from me? Am I supposed to just… take all his shit and not say a word about it? Be silent and stand in the background like a good stepford wife?" Kagome's fist balled up on the handle of the cart. She scowled. "You know what, fine. If that's what he wants, that's what I'll give him."

"Kagome!" Toshiko exclaimed, stunned. "Since when did you become such a potty mo- _what_ did you say?"

"If he wants me to be all submissive and never question him or anything he does, I'll do it," Kagome said, picking up a couple cans and tossing them in the cart.

"Kagome… _honey_… what are you planning?"

Kagome didn't say anything and continued to scan the shelves for the products she desired.

Toshiko came and stood in front of the cart."Kagome Taishou, you tell me what you're planning right now."

"I'm not planning anything, Toshi-san," Kagome said, smiling as she met her eyes.

"Why don't you just talk to him, Kagome? Maybe he'll-"

"Maybe he'll listen? Yeah, right. Come on, you know he won't listen. Maybe he needs to see that things can't just go his way without there being problems. So, I'll show him. Now, could you please move so I can keep shopping? I want to get home so I can make dinner on time."

* * *

"Another Scotch, Mei."

The short, straight-haired bartender gave him a look as she reached back to grab the bottle. "Another one, Taisho-sama?" she said, cutely.

"Hey," he said, grinning. "I don't pay you to question me, little girl."

"You don' pay at all!" said Daisuke, who was already well into drunkenness. "You got some kin a rangment wif Kuro."

"And I'm starting to rethink that little 'rangment,'" said the burly man behind the counter, serving another man. "I can't have you getting free drinks like this, the way you guzzle them down."

"Hey!" Inuyasha protested. "I saved your life, didn't I Kuro? I should get something in return. You said you owed me for life and this is your payment."

Kuro scoffed. "Whatever, Taisho. Just don't overdo it. I would like to have some liquor left before the night is over."

"How can you even drink this much?" the childlike, yet flirty bartender questioned as she placed his fresh drink before him.

"I… I don't know. A gift, I guess," Inuyasha mumbled, trying not to sound overly suspicious.

"My ass," Kuro interjected, as he headed out the back door. "No human being should be able to drink like this guy does!"

"Thas cuz Yasha ain't human!" Daisuke exclaimed, laughing.

Inuyasha went pale.

Daisuke suddenly got very close to his face. "_What are you, man_?" he whispered, harshly.

Inuyasha stared at him, wide-eyed. "Man… you're drunk."

His best friend glared at him with squinted eyes before his entire face lit up. "Ha! Sure am!" He took another swig of his drink. "You're takin' me home man…"

"Sure, whatever," Inuyasha muttered as he nervously drank from his mug.

"Speakin' of home an' stuff… how's the lady doin'?"

Inuyasha frowned. "That's not even worth talking about right now. I came here to get away from home."

"Aw… come on… come on, Inuyasha…" Daisuke drawled, drunkenly. "Don' you love your wifey?"

"Will you just shut up and drink your beer?" Inuyasha turned to his friend. "I'm pretty pissed about the whole thing… I'm actually trying to find a good reason to go home right now, and you aren't helping."

"You nee to go home, mister!" his drunken friend said, pointing directly into his face. "Go home an'…an'…"  
"Fuck your wife!" someone said from down the bar, causing a small round of laughter from those sitting around the counter.

"Feh…" Inuyasha kept his eyes in his drink.

'They don't know anything… they're just a bunch of drunks…

'So… why am I here with them?'

* * *

Kagome sat at the table, her face buried deep into her arms. Moments ago, she was determined not to cry, determined not to give up hope. That moment was over. She was officially bawling her eyes out.

She had worked very hard on her dinner. It was seafood night. She had a nice variety of sashimi and wasabi sauce and rice… she spent more time on it than it warranted, making it look presentable. She had thought that he would be home, knowing that he was probably staying late at work for some reason but he would still want to talk. So… why wasn't he home?

Kagome sat up. "That… stupid baka."

She sniffed and wiped her tears, trying to pull herself back together. She picked up the plates and found Tupperware that was the appropriate size, and then prepared it to be stored.

Not possessing much of an appetite, she placed the containers in the refrigerator and dragged herself to bed.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this one. It took me a while to finish. Family summer things going on.

Not very much between Kagome and Inuyasha in this chapter, but that's coming. Wait... I wasn't supposed to say that. Anywho, it would be nice if you sent me a review. I would really appreciate that. Like I said, I love hearing from you. I'm currently looking for a beta for this story. I keep noticing little slip-ups at the last minute. If you're interested, please send me a message. If no one does, I'll begin looking for myself :).


	5. Wrong

Loud, blaring horns. Screeching brakes and beeps from large, rusty yellow machines. Men yelling from across the dirt landscape, trying to communicate above the overbearing sounds of construction work.

That was what Inuyasha had to deal with in the morning. Bright and early he showered, got on his uniform, packed his other uniform and tiptoed out of the house, either from his bedroom or from his new, comfy friend in the living room.

Inuyasha yawned. Whether he slept or not the night before had nothing to do with it. He still had to get up in the morning and head to his job as assistant manager of Tsukikage Kousaku Incorporated's Kyoto division.

Fortunately, before they left the feudal era Kagome used her old miko powers to create a tiny slip of paper that gives him human hearing when he's at work. It certainly helped; he no longer felt an intense pain while trying to work. But, it certainly didn't take away from how incredibly annoying it all was.

'Kagome…' His thoughts were brought back to his odd soul mate, though he sometimes wondered why the gods placed him with such an impossible woman. When he got home that night, he could smell the lingering aroma of his dinner in the air, and her salty tears. He had cringed as he sauntered over to the fridge knowing exactly what would be there. Another expertly made dinner that he had failed to be present for.

He had frowned as he pulled out the fragile plastic container and tugged open the lid. He had used his claws to pick through and get a piece of seasoned raw fish to nibble on. All while feeling that familiar twinge of guilt.

Yes, it was times like those that he felt like crap. When she did things that were not expected of her… like save him dinner even when he didn't have to work. Those were the times where he wondered if maybe there were some things he could do for her.

Then her nagging, whiny face flashed in his brain and he thought better. He worked all day. There were some things he just didn't have to deal with. Maybe some unexpected favors from her were in order.

Inuyasha rubbed his temples. It was unbearably hot in his little office; the tiny fan in the corner only served to annoy him with _moving_ hot air instead of cooling him down. He was irritated… hot… grumpy…

And horny.

As a male inu-youki hanyou, he had his needs. As much as he loved Kiyomi for helping him out from time to time, his beastly side couldn't survive without the touch of his mate. Which was a problem… because lately, neither of them… _touched_. How could he even begin to ask his mate to _act_ as his mate when neither of them _felt_ like mates?

Inuyasha growled under his breath, throwing his legs from the top of his metal desk, his boots plopping on the floor. He would have to suck it up. There was no way his stubborn wife would do anything he said, much less consent to emotionless and meaningless sex with him after the past few days. Because at this rate, that's exactly what it would be.

* * *

Kagome was on the couch when he arrived at the door, sitting Indian-style and flipping through the channels.

He swung the door closed a little too hard, as usual, making it slam against the door frame.

Kagome looked up from the television, her midnight hair swinging. "Inuyasha!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly. "I didn't expect you to be home so soon! You hungry?"

Inuyasha was… stunned and utterly confused. He stood there for a moment, his navy blue bag hanging halfway off his arm, his hand still gripping the door knob.

Kagome laughed a little. "Are you _okay_, Inuyasha? I just asked if you were hungry." She raised an eyebrow while still smiling. "Had a hard day at work?"

Inuyasha shook his head slowly, still frowning. He then snapped out of his reverie and smoothed out his expression, nodding. "Yeah… I had a hard day. Uh… why-"

"So what are you doing home so early?" Kagome said, switching off their modest-sized television and rising from the couch. She was wearing jeans and one of his dress shirts, a sign that she hadn't left the house yet. "Are you just back for lunch?"

"Yeah, I am. We finished early at the site and I decided to not waste money and come home." He placed his bag on the floor by the door.

"Well, isn't that lucky!" Kagome said, running a hand through her not-yet-brushed hair and still showing her pearly whites. "I'll go make you something. Cold cuts sound okay?"

Inuyasha's eyes followed his wife as she crossed the linoleum floor into the kitchen, wondering if he had fallen asleep at his desk and this was some type of dream slash nightmare.

"Oh, man!" Kagome exclaimed. "We don't have any lettuce… I'll have to cut some up."

As he watched Kagome making herself busy, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to one of the last arguments they had, not even a week ago.

"_I think it would be perfect for the backyard. You know I always wanted a garden!"_

_Inuyasha leaned forward in his chair. "Kagome, the thing is over 40,000 yen! We don't need it, we won't get it."_

_Kagome visibly pouted. "We can afford it, Inuyasha! I want to do something while you're gone because you _still _won't let me get a job!"_

_Inuyasha pointed a clawed finger in her direction. "Now, look bitch. I told you that was non-negotiable. You. Are. Staying. Home."_

"_I know, you baka!" Kagome said, standing up from the kitchen table. "And I told you to stop calling me that! I know it's some kind of stupid inu-youki thing but I'm not having it!"_

_Inuyasha ground his teeth together, then tried to speak through his clenched teeth. "Kagome, it's too expensive. We cannot afford it. Plus, you're going to ask me to put it together-"_

"_I'll do it myself since you _obviously_ won't help me since you _never_ do help me with things around the house! And we _can _afford it! I do all the finances; how would you know?"_

_Inuyasha stood, enraged. "That's right! I wouldn't know! I'm too busy going to work so you can buy shit like that garden thingy you want so much! How the hell would I know what we can afford?! So, since you obviously know so damn much, why don't you just buy the damn thing and get off my ass!"_

_Kagome stood there, angry and shocked. "I just wanted to include you, Inuyasha! That's what marriage is about, if you didn't know! Excuse me if trying to include you on any of our decisions!"_

_She then stormed away, fists balled up at her sides, heading for the stairs._

"_Stop being childish, Kagome!" Inuyasha hollered in her direction._

_She stopped on the stairs, throwing up her hands. "And you know what?! Why don't I just spend all the money we have, since you obviously don't want any part of it?!"_

It was a stupid, stupid argument. They never made up, not officially at least. The days when they fought and made up were over.

Now, as he examined his seemingly insane mate, he knew for a fact that the woman he fought with days ago had somehow been replaced by this creature before him.

"Huh?" She was saying something to him.

"Do you want turkey or ham?"

Inuyasha was silent for a while, watching her wash the lettuce. Finally he said, "What's wrong with you?"

Kagome stopped washing vegetable. She turned halfway towards him, her face twisted in confusion. "Wha-"

"Don't even ask me what I'm talking about, Kagome. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Kagome sighed, averting her eyes. She seemed to be trying to find the right words. "Inuyasha… I've decided on something."

He nodded. 'I knew something was up…'

"I… realized I need to be more submissive to you," she continued. "You're my alpha. I need to be the one who follows you. So… from now on I will. No more nagging or anything. I just want you to be happy and have some peace."

Now Inuyasha was sure he was in some type of dream. His Kagome wasn't telling him she was going to let him be… _dominant_… was she?

"What… how… you're kidding… right?"

She turned back toward the sink and giggled. It wasn't a giggle like she used to. Not light and pleasant, the kind that made him want to wag his tail if he had one.

It was just… _wrong_.

"I know it comes as a shock, but I think that's the only way we'll have any peace around here. I was the problem. You work so hard and you shouldn't have to worry about anything. So, I'm not going to make you worry anymore."

Inuyasha had to sit down. He reached toward a kitchen chair, braced himself, and sat down. "So… you're telling me… you're going to stop nagging me all the time?"

"Mm hm," she said, nodded.

"And you'll stop whining all the time?"

Same response.

"And… stop spending so much money?"

She nodded again.

"And you'll make sure the house is clean?"

She stopped then and turned back in his direction. "I always make sure the house is clean," she said, obviously trying to control her voice.

Inuyasha chuckled. "I know… just checking. Kagome…" he sighed. "If this is all… for real… things aren't going to just… go back to normal or anything."

She lifted the lettuce from the sink in handfuls and tried to turn to him. "Oh, I know. I don't want it to. I think I need sometime to work on myself. I wouldn't want to send you any mix signals or anything!" She laughed a little.

It was surreal. He felt something in him scream to investigate, but the other side of him was too delighted and worn-out. She was actually going to shut up.

Inuyasha loved Kagome. It was her mouth that drove him nuts.

He would sleep upstairs tonight.

* * *

Yes, I know, not much going on but it serves its purpose. It needed to be there. And this chapter was a bit on the late said but I honestly had trouble writing it. I know what's going to happen next, it's just getting there that's the problem.

Hope you all enjoyed. Please review.

BTW, I'm still in search of a beta.


	6. Suspicious

The pan sizzled as she split the scrambled eggs into portions, flipping and turning them into perfection_._ She shifted her feet, then put one foot on top of the other to alleviate some of the growing soreness in her calves.

The eggs smelled amazing. The smell of spices that only Kagome knew how to mix up filled the kitchen and made the hanyou's mouth water. And the pancakes… he couldn't wait to sit down and enjoy the kind of breakfast only his mate knew how to make.

She didn't realize he was watching her. He was safely hidden behind the wall on the stairs, studying her intently. What had begun as an investigation turned into him concentrating on the food she was preparing.

It had been a week since this new… revelation of hers. Since then, everything she did was clean cut. They never ran out of food to eat. The laundry was always done. The house was always clean. She was always showered when he was home, even though she never left the house. It was as if all she did all day was… be a housewife.

Inuyasha had began to get suspicious of her days ago. The fiery young thing he mated had not disappeared, of that he was sure. No new epiphanywas going to change her in a single day. So, since today was his day off, and he was supposed to make breakfast, he knew something was up.

He heard her when she snuck out of bed that morning. After a few minutes of impatient waiting, he quietly followed her down the steps and peered around the corner, trying to get a glimpse at Kagome while she thought he wasn't looking.

The first thing he noticed was her face. She expression was one that he hadn't really seen on her, at least not for a while. She looked weary and… sad. Then again, she seemed to always be sad. The bags under her eyes had intensified since the last time he got a good look at her.

He looked her up and down, noticing how her T-shirt and pajama shorts hung on her.

'When did she lose weight?' he wondered, regarding her thin frame with confusion. Kagome never had a problem with weight; she always maintained a normal, slim body, even slightly muscular in their feudal era days. Now, she looked somewhat malnourished and underfed.

It was then that he realized… he didn't remember the last time he saw her eat. Not that he was home all the time, but usually when he was home for lunch or anytime at all, she ate with him, trying to savor the time they had together he figured. And he had been home more often, skipping nights at the bar to come home since being home was more pleasant, and giving her excuses as to why he was home more often.

But lately, he hadn't seen her eat. She would feed him, then go and watch television or retreat into their bedroom.

'She couldn't be… starving herself… right? She knows that since she's mated to a demon, her need to eat subdued a bit, but there is only so much a human can take. She needs to eat something.'

He stood from the stairs and was about to make himself known when he smelled something over the spice-filled air. Salt… her tears.

He frowned. 'She's crying? What happened?'

She had ducked her head to her chest and let the spatula fall to the floor. Her arms hung loosely at her sides.

'Kami… she's so emotional. What could she possibly be crying about? Nothing happened!'

She sniffled and hiccupped every now and then, letting her tears fall freely. When Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore, he spoke up.

"Damn it, wench? What are you crying for?"

She jumped and turned to him, obviously shocked that he was standing there. Her eyes momentarily flashed to shame and then she smiled, covering up her sorrow save for the tears that remained on her cheeks.

"Inuyasha! I didn't know you'd be up yet. I wanted to make you breakfast." She bent down to pick up the forgotten spatula and went to the sink to wash it off. "Couldn't sleep?"

Inuyasha kept his eyes on her, his brows furrowed deeply in confusion and worry.

'She… just _knows_ I'm not going to say anything… should I? Should I go ahead and point out how… silly this whole thing is? How I know she's been faking all along? How I still don't understand why she did it in the first place, or why she was even crying right now?'

She slowly turned to him, looking him in the eyes. The spatula was still dripping wet, and it dribbled water over the front of her shirt, her shorts, and down her leg. That probably would have been appealing to him, had it been a normal occasion. Unfortunately that wasn't the only thing that stuck out to him. Her expression drew much more attention.

The look on her face made up his mind for him. Her mouth smiled but her eyes… they pleaded with him. It was as if she had trained her entire face into looking happy and carefree, but it could never reach her eyes. The sorrow still remained there.

"No… I slept okay," he lied. "You woke me up when you got out of the bed."

"Oh!" she exclaimed as she turned to the stove, trying to save the now burning eggs. "I'm sorry. I thought I was careful. How selfish of me."

Inuyasha shook his head. "Nothing to be sorry for. You know I sleep light."

Kagome sighed. "Yes, but you need your-"

"Why are you making breakfast?" Inuyasha cut in.

Kagome stilled, but then turned to him, her face innocent. "I wanted to make you breakfast. Why wouldn't I?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You know what this is about, Kagome. It's my day off; I make breakfast. So, what's the deal?"

Kagome smiled. "I didn't want to worry you with that. You do enough work. You bring home the bacon, I fry it up!" She giggled in that sick sounding giggle at her joke and turned back to her eggs.

"Kagome… I want to cook breakfast. I'm only here a couple mornings a week. You always cook. At least let me finish."

Inuyasha could hear the frown in her voice. "I can't see why you would want to work yourself more. I want you to be happy and comfortable at home, but if that's what you want… don't worry about it right now though. I've already made the pancakes and the eggs are done. I forgot the bacon, like the idiot I am, so that's all you're having."

Completely missing her self abuse, Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "_You're_?"

Kagome scooped the eggs onto the awaiting plate. "I'm not really hungry. I'll put the rest in the fridge for your breakfast tomorrow."

Inuyasha was really worried now. 'So… she really is starving herself?'

"Kagome, you need breakfast too. Eat something."

Kagome smiled at him as she crossed the tiled floor to the cabinet. "I'm alright, Inuyasha. I told you, I'm –"

"Don't give me that, Kagome!" Inuyasha said, his voice slightly raised. "Look at yourself! You're getting skinnier all the time. You need to eat something."

Kagome stiffened again, this time almost dropping the plate she was going to serve his food on. She swiftly turned to him, horror and sorrow evident on her pale face.

"You… you think I'm too skinny?"

He regarded her cautiously, choosing to carefully examine his words before letting them flee from his mouth. Something he said didn't bode well with her, but he didn't know the reason why or if the damage could be undone. "I… well, I'm concerned, Kagome. It's unhealthy to be as small as you are."

Kagome stared at him, her expression never changing. Her mouth hung open in distress, still looking devastated.

'Oh, shit… what the hell did I say?!'

She closed her eyes and mouth, slouching slightly under whatever pressure had overcome her. The smell of tears entered his nose, but the tears never seemed to reach her cheeks.

"I'm…" she began in a quiet, almost non-existent whisper as she voice trembled. "I'm so… _sorry_ for… making you worry…"

"How… how long has this been going on, Kagome?"

The tremble slowly began to reach her entire being. "I… it…"

Inuyasha got up from his chair and stood directly in front of her, trapping her in between the counter and his broad chest. "Kagome…"

She looked up into his eyes, appearing desperate for an escape. "Inu… I'm not…"

He grabbed her arms, gripping them a bit harder than necessary. "Don't lie to me!"

He noticed her wince and loosened his grip, but didn't lose any intensity in his eyes.

She bowed her head slightly to look into his chest. She breathed in slowly, and some of the gloom slipped from her face as she breathed in his scent. The act confused Inuyasha for a moment, before he himself took a deep breath.

Her scent… he hadn't been this close to her in so long. He had forgotten how tantalizes _(tantalizing)_ she smelled so close up.

His beast had been very distracting over the past few days. It kept stirring within him, seeming to get testy over the littlest of things. His conversations with Kagome had been causing some of the distracting pulses, but not enough to sway his judgment.

Her unique smell did little to improve his mood while it did wonders to sooth his beast, if only a little.

"Since… the fight…" he heard her whisper.

His eyes went wide. She had been starving herself… because of him?

"You're blaming… _me_ for this?" he ground out.

Kagome's face shot back up to his. "No! No, I'm not blaming _you_! I just… haven't been feeling very hungry since then."

"You're lying, Kagome, and don't act like I can't see right through this little act. Tell me the real reason you're not eating."

"I'm not acting!" Kagome assured him, though he could see the uncertainty in her own eyes. As to what she was uncertain about, he wasn't sure. "I just haven't been feeling very adequate since then. I only want you to be happy and comfortable and… well, I didn't really think about stuffing my own face while I cooked for you. I wanted to make sure you had what you needed."

Inuyasha frowned down at his distraught wife, scanning her face for lies. There was something she wasn't telling him, he was sure, but she seemed genuine enough. She would tell him when she was ready.

"I don't like it, okay? You need to eat. You can't honestly tell me that you don't want to take care of yourself too. Do you want my beast to come out raging because his mate won't take the time to feed herself?"

Kagome let out a puff of air. "No… I'll eat, okay? But… I just don't want to distract myself. I'm selfish enough as it is."

"Feeding yourself isn't selfish!" Inuyasha protested, but he quickly drew back, closing his eyes in impatience. "You know what… I'm going out, okay? I'll be home for lunch." He turned from her and heading toward the stairs.

"But… Inuyasha! Your breakfast!" Kagome called to him.

He waved an uncaring hand in the air. "You eat it."

Hey, there. Don't hate me, I've just been so busy lately. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll have another as soon as possible. I've just been so tired lately. Thanks for all the support.


	7. Determined

It was a familiar scene. Dim lights and grungy walls. Many different faces. Laughter and yelling. Hardly audible music in the background. The bartenders, including the cute little Mei, passing around drinks to thirsty and intoxicated customers. And his best friend and boss, sitting next to him, conversing with the teenaged girl. Or, could he say flirting?

It was no mistake, Mei was crushing on Inuyasha. He knew it, Kuro knew it, hell everyone knew it. Not that anyone really cared about that little detail. It was the fact that Inuyasha egged her on that made him shake his head.

Even in his drunken state, Daisuke knew a game when he saw one.

It had started when Inuyasha came in, which had been a surprise for most of them because his attendance hadn't really been noted for most of the week. Their daily midnight sessions had seemed to dwindle down.

Mei's face had lit up at the sight of him, but she continued pouring some john's drink. "Inuyasha!" she had exclaimed, seemingly very excited.

He had smirked at her, enjoying the attention, Daisuke guessed. He came and plopped down on his seat. "Hey, Daisuke… Mei."

"Inuyasha, m'man!" Daisuke exclaimed, clumsily tipping his beer in his direction. "Where 'ave you been? That wifa yours drivin' you crazy?"

He chuckled and kept his eyes on Mei, who was pouring Inuyasha the usual. "Actually… not until today. She's been acting really strange lately. She's been smiling a lot and making sure everything around the house is done… she's been great actually."

Daisuke turned to Mei and couldn't hold back the amused smile on his lips. She looked more than disturbed and he could feel a nasty retort coming from her fresh-from-high school mouth.

He wasn't disappointed.

"That old hag actually did something right?" she said, scowling and handing Inuyasha his drink. "I didn't know she had it in her."

Daisuke chuckled, finding that funny for some inconceivable reason.

However, Inuyasha gave a very uncharacteristic reaction. He frowned at her statement, looking down into his drink. "I don't know… Kagome used to act right… lately she just forgot what her role is."

Daisuke watched as his face slightly changed, like he was beginning to understand how outrageous he sounded.

Mei didn't seem to think the statement was at all despicable. "I told you before, Inuyasha; women like her don't know how to handle men like you."

It seemed only Daisuke had noted that the young girl had familiarized his name to its farthest extent.

Inuyasha smirked at her and leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. "And I suppose you can?"

Mei giggled girlishly at him, but said nothing.

Inuyasha seemed to have no intention of ending their special game. "I don't know, Mei; I'm a very dominating person. I don't think you would last a day with me."

Mei's face lit up in playful shock, but the protest that was clearly about to come from her was interrupted by Kuro's booming voice.

"Mei, stop flirting with Inuyasha and get back to work!" he exclaimed as he burst through the back door, drying a glass. "Hideki's been sitting down the counter waiting for you to serve him for ten minutes!"

Mei rolled her eyes, but traveled down to the grinning customer. "Oh, come on, dad. It hasn't been nearly that long!"

Daisuke looked at the sheepish man sitting next to him. He had dirty blonde hair and a round face. He seemed to be around Mei's age, though it was hard to tell since he was obviously part Caucasian. Daisuke was never good at distinguishing those types of things.

The shy-looking boy smiled at Mei, who started pouring his drink. "Is he really your dad?" he said boldly.

Mei glanced up at him, her face blank. "Nah… He's a friend. He let me stay with him after my parents died. I was past eighteen and I had no other place to go."

Kuro came and leaned on the counter, looking her up and down. "And she likes to bother the heck out of me by calling me dad. I let her do that shit at home, but not in public."

Mei's expression shifted into a frown, but she chose to keep her thoughts to herself.

Inuyasha sat his glass back on the counter and sighed. "I can't stay here long. I told Kagome I'd be home in time for lunch."

Mei traveled back over to his friend, giving him another flirty smile. "Why don't you stay a while longer, Inuyasha. If your wife is the perfect housewife now she can just pack your lunch for you whenever you get there. It's your house."

Inuyasha lifted his drink in her direction and laughed. "You know? You're speaking my language!"

Daisuke shook his head and finally spoke up. "Ya… yasha? You know K'gome is gonna give you uh… uh… shit fer not keepin' your promise."

Inuyasha scoffed. "No, she won't. She'll keep quiet about it like a good bitch. She knows her place, and it's not to ask questions."

Daisuke leaned forward into Inuyasha's face and narrowed his eyes, not noticing how his friend leaned away from the aroma emitting from his mouth.

"Boss… do you believe any uh the _shit_ you say?"

His friend's face stretched in shock, then twisted in anger as he roughly pushed him away. "Get out of my face, Dai. You don't know what the fuck you're talking about!"

"I… I mean it, Yasha!"Daisuke rambled on. "You… you say all this… stuff about K'gome… do you even… even…"

Inuyasha's hands fisted on the counter, his anger causing everyone's hackles to rise. "You're crossing the line, Daisuke. I think you've said enough."

Daisuke had kept quiet for a while about how he felt when Inuyasha spoke about his wife. He let him call his wife unholy words and say things that no man should ever say about a woman. Daisuke knew that he was probably exaggerating a bit, but that didn't make it any less wrong. He then decided it was time to speak up. And he was just drunk enough to do it.

"You… you talk 'bout K'gome like she's uh… some chick livin' in your house. Like she's uh slave'er somethin'. She don' deserve that. You gotta… you gotta respect her an… an show her you uh… you uh…"

It was evident that Daisuke was more than just drunk enough to tell Inuyasha off. He couldn't control a word that left his lips.

"Shut up, Daisuke!" Mei's annoying voice interjected. "Inuyasha knows how to handle his wife!"

Kuro scowled at the irritated teenager as she came to an enraged Inuyasha's defense. "You get back to work, Mei! This has nothing to do with you-"

"No, it's alright, Kuro." Inuyasha cut in, his voice eerily calm while his emotion was plastered on his beet red face. He pulled out his wallet and slapped his credit card on the table. "Mei was just speaking her mind. It doesn't bother me unless she starts talking shit like she knows me and my life. Mei has done nothing wrong. I, on the other hand, need to leave before you have bloody drunken idiot splattered all over you floor."

With that, he left, leaving his credit card and a bar full of silent, bewildered faces.

Daisuke broke the silence, chuckling loudly to himself.

* * *

Kagome wasn't stupid; she knew her husband wasn't going to be home for lunch. He never was. So, when Toshiko called, inviting her over to her place, she had no excuse to lean on.

She regarded her best friend from the kitchen chair. Toshiko was leaning on the island, flipping through her cookbook.

Toshiko was undeniably attractive, and Kagome couldn't help but feel jealous of her. She had those long, easily tanned legs that men lusted for. Her sandy, orange hair framed her high cheekbones. She had striking green eyes and full lips. She was thin, but curvy and a bit heavier on the top than the average Japanese woman. And her kitsune characteristics, such as her pointed ears and fanged teeth, gave her an exotic look that men went crazy for, not to mention the fact that no man could have her. It made her that much more attractive.

'No man would ever come at me like that… not even Inuyasha.'

In their early years, Inuyasha had often told her she was beautiful, but that was to be expected. They were in love and they thought everything about each other was beautiful. Since she looked so much like Kikyo, she supposed her looks meant nothing to him anymore.

"So, what do you think I should do? I mean, I like my idea but I did it a couple years ago. He did enjoy it, though…"

Kagome shook herself out of her thoughts. "The… the ramen?"

Toshiko raised an eyebrow and turned to her. "No, the dominatrix thing I did for him. He just loved being tied up and spanked."

Kagome's eyes widened. "W-what?"

Toshiko rolled her eyes. "I was talking about the dinner for our anniversary next month. And you weren't paying attention."

Kagome leaned back in her chair and sighed. "I'm sorry, Toshi… I'm just tired."

Toshiko rolled her eyes and turned back to her book. "My question is," she said, almost under her breath. "how much bullshit do you think you can feed me before I throw it up at you?"

Kagome frowned and she sat up. "What are you talking about?"

Toshiko slammed her book closed and turned to her friend, crossing her arms. "I don't know, Kagome, what am I talking about? Because the last time I checked, my best friend was playing a joke on her husband to get him to see how much of a bastard he was, not believing that _she_ is the joke. Last time I checked, the Kagome I know was confident and stubborn and brave, and would stand up to her mate. Last time I checked, I didn't have a best friend who looked like she was one of the mothers who stood behind the kids on those Feed the Children infomercials who didn't get enough to eat because she was trying to feed them. So, you tell me, Kagome, what am I talking about?"

Kagome stood from her chair, suddenly enraged. "How dare you, Toshiko?! You have no right to say stuff like that about me! You don't know what I have to deal with-"

"That's right! I don't know! Because the Kagome I knew, the one who isn't standing in this kitchen, would actually talk to me instead of ignoring and not returning my calls. So, what is it? What's going on? You have all this fire and anger now, but where is it when you're at home?"

Kagome shook with emotion. She didn't know what to feel. She knew her friend was right, as usual, but her mind couldn't decide whether she should fight or give up.

Kagome deflated with exhaustion, her body making the decision for her.

"Tell me…" Toshiko whispered, concern etched on her face. "When did you stop eating?"

Kagome stared at her friend, her face twisting in confusion and sorrow.

'She can tell?' she thought miserably.

Kagome dipped her head and gazed at her body.

She had her favorite sundress on. It was pale yellow with small white flowers on it. Inuyasha loved when she wore it; he said it reminded him of their time in the feudal era. In her head, he meant when they were in love.

The dress used to hug her chest and waist, flowing out at her hips and hitting her knees. Now, as Kagome regarded herself, she noticed how her breasts and stomach barely touched the fabric, and the dress hung on her hips like a sack.

Kagome never felt the tear travel down her face as she looked up at her friend, but she did feel herself tremble.

"What… What's wrong with me?" she whimpered.

Toshiko herself looked close to tears as she extended her arms, inviting her friend into an embrace.

Kagome fell into her arms and began sobbing on her on her shoulder. Toshiko rubbed her back, whispering what she was sure was soothing words had she been able to hear them.

Only Toshiko noticed her mate, Hiroshi, come into the kitchen.

'She's… she's all I have left,' Kagome thought with a start. 'I don't have any other friends. My mother is dead, my grandfather is dead, Souta is across the country in college. Sango, Miroku, Shippo… they're all dead. I wouldn't be able to see them even if I could get through the well. My friends from high school stopped being my friends a long time ago. I may have Inuyasha, but I don't even have his heart.'

Kagome slowed her sobbing and tried to breathe.

"Come on, Kagome, let's go sit down." Toshiko led Kagome into her living room and plopped down their couch, pulling her distressed friend down with her.

"She… she called…"

She wasn't looking at her, but Kagome could hear the frown in her voice. "Who?"

"The other woman…"

She felt her friend stiffen beside her.

"She had his credit card."

"Who… had his credit card, Kagome?" she said through clenched teeth. Kagome could feel the rage emanating from her.

"She's a bartender… at the bar he goes to everyday. The bar… the one he goes to when he says he has to work late and I don't question him. She had his credit card… and the number to our home…"

"Wait a minute…" Toshiko interrupted, holding up a finger. "Why did you call her the other woman?"

Kagome smiled grimly as she rambled on. "She told me he comes there every night to flirt with her. He comes and flirts with her and laughs it up with his buddies. I didn't even know he had buddies." Kagome chuckled.

Toshiko shook her head. "That bastard…" she whispered, squeezing Kagome's shoulder.

Kagome cleared her throat. "She said… she said he left because one of his friends starting talking about me and his relationship… telling him he should treat me better… Inuyasha got mad and stormed off. She made sure to tell me that."

"_Kagome_…" Toshiko hugged Kagome tighter.

"She sounded so young, Toshi. Like she was fifteen or something. I never would have thought he would cheat on me with some younger girl… I don't look that horrible, do I?"

"Ridiculous, Kagome! Number one, you look as youthful as you did when I first met you, and two, he couldn't cheat on you. His beast wouldn't let him."

Kagome sighed and closed her eyes. "But that just means that the closest he will get will be to flirt with some random girl… and that, in a mating, is cheating. He can't touch her, so he'll do the next best thing. He would go ballistic if he even thought he heard that I was flirting with another man." She cleared her throat again.

"Here you go," she heard. She opened her eyes to a kneeling Hiroshi, who was offering her a bottled water and tissues.

"Hiroshi-san, I'm sorry! I didn't even see you there. I don't mean to be a bother."

He smiled softly at her. "Nonsense, Kagome. You're always welcomed in my home."

Kagome smiled through her tears at the gentle man as she took the water and box of tissues. "Arigatou, Hiroshi-san. I should probably get going, though…"

"How about you stay for a bit, huh Kagome?" Toshiko remarked. "We could watch a movie and rent a couple pizzas… maybe play a board game? You don't have to go home. Who cares about making that bastard dinner anyway? He can just fend for himself tonight."

"You know I can't do that," she mumbled. "I need to make sure he has something to eat."

Her friend frowned. "Why? He didn't make sure _you_ were taken care of."

Kagome frowned also, not liking where the conversation was headed. "I'm his mate; I'm supposed to run the household, attend to his needs. He goes to work everyday… I'm responsible for everything else."

"But, he does _nothing_ for you that the alpha should do for his mate, which isn't just bringing the money home," Toshiko protested, her green eyes flaring.

"Why should he have to worry about that when he works all day? He should be able to relax and go to the bar, even if he didn't need to lie to me about it. I don't work so I do what I'm _supposed_ to do as his wife."

Toshiko stared her, silent for a moment before speaking. "Do you hear what you're saying? You've turned into exactly what you fought not to become, Kagome. A housewife… in every definition of the word."

Kagome turned her face from her friends burning eyes as her word sunk in.

"Toshi, maybe we should give Kagome some space. Why don't we go talk in the bedroom?"

Kagome felt Toshiko hesitate before she rose from the couch and departed with her husband. She clenched her fists in her lap, rumpling her dress between her thin fingers.

Once, again, she was right. What happened to her? She was human, and no human should be forced into such submission. She did everything for him. From the moment she woke up, to when she laid her head down at night, she did everything for him. Every move she made, she considered him first. When did he ever do that for her?

Their relationship was more human than demon, so there was only so much he could blame on his demon side.

She decided right then that she would stay there for the afternoon, maybe even until the night. She would do this one thing, for her. She would eat pizza and laugh and play some board game with her friends. She couldn't even remember the last time she played a board game.

Toshiko and Hiroshi came back and were overjoyed to hear her decision. They ordered one pepperoni and one cheese pizza and put Hiroshi's favorite movie into their DVD player. They played Monopoly, which Toshiko won, and conversed way past seven o'clock.

Kagome had fun for the first time in so long. She laughed like she did when things with her mate were still beautiful. She enjoyed herself and her time away from her worries, even if it was only for a while.

What she couldn't ignore though was the obvious sexual tension between her two friends. She didn't know what they had planned for that night, but it was obviously something they were both looking forward to, the way they sent hints toward each other. It only made her miss having someone to flirt with as they did; shamelessly.

Toshiko wasn't one to hold back either. She was a very sensual person. She was the one who went with Kagome to buy her box of toys when things started to turn sour with Inuyasha. She was thankful; she knew she would need to use at least one of those when she got home.

She insisted on leaving around eight-thirty to give them ample time with each other. She needed her one alone time anyhow.  


* * *

Please, don't hate me. I know, it's been way too long. I'm horrible, really. But, right when I got a good portion of this done, we had a storm and the power went out. I lost a lot of my inspiration and well… you get the picture. I apologize, really. Please send me a review.

Thank you so much, my wonderful beta Nysrina! I really appreciate you.


	8. Changing

"Ah!"

Inuyasha grunted softly as he came on the computer screen and keyboard, jerking his hips forwards. His whole body clenched and his eyes squeezed shut as the euphoric feeling over whelmed him.

He felt his cock slowly start to become flaccid as he calmed his breathing.

It had been in a candy store this time. She was dressed up like a young girl who walked into a candy shop, and once she realized it was empty she went wild… in every imaginable way.

She serviced herself in this video, which always made him harder. It was always better when she was alone; he could envision himself with her better when she wasn't under, or on top of, some other man.

And it was his evening that had made his experience that much more arousing… and shameful.

* * *

_Inuyasha was angry to say the least. Infuriated. _

'_How dare Daisuke say shit like that to me?!' he thought, trying to douse the fire that was burning in his head. 'He has no right to tell me what I'm doing wrong! That idiot doesn't even know how to respect a woman, much less how I should treat mine!'_

_Inuyasha kicked a crushed soda can in his frustration, sending it flying into a parked car and scratching its paint. It took him only a second to figure out that the car was his._

_He cursed loudly and half-jogged to his car, as if his speed in getting there might save the automobile from injury. He crouched down and ran a finger over the damage, adding up the yen signs in his head. _

_He wasn't sure if he could afford to get it fixed; Kagome handled the money most of the time. When it was time to buy something new, he went to her. Inuyasha was a practical half-demon. He didn't want or need a lot of expensive things. If they didn't have enough, it was her fault._

_Inuyasha flopped down onto the pavement by his car and buried his face in his hands. "When did I become so dependent on Kagome for things like that? Can't I just… use the money? It's my money. I work for it. She doesn't do anything."_

"_Talking to yourself?" he heard a rich, feminine voice say behind him._

_He spun around and nearly hit his head on his car. Shock and surprise ripped through him and his eyes were as wide as saucers._

'_It's… it's her…'_

_Her tall, long legged body stood in front of the sun, making her look like a goddess. She wore a pair of silver flip-flops and denim shorts that extended her legs farther than he ever thought possible. Her purple T-shirt had a modest length, but tightened around her chest in a way that made him almost pant for breath._

_And her smell… he came _very_ close to panting then. _

_She had a silver necklace, with matching bracelets, and her shoulder-length jet-black hair cut across her face in the most flirtatious way. She smiled at down at him and leaned on her left side._

"_You okay, handsome?"_

_He blinked rapidly out of his stupor and matched his eyes with hers, trying to say at least one of the words that were jumbled around in his head._

"_I'm… you… uh…"_

_Two and a half were good…_

"_Well, aren't you cute?" she said, grinning and pushing her glasses down to see him clearly. _

_Inuyasha blushed then and glanced away from her, clearly embarrassed. Here was the woman he had seen naked and screaming and _he_ was the one embarrassed? _

_He lifted himself from the sidewalk and smirked at her, his dignity beginning to return. "I'm… fine. Just… letting out some frustration. No need to worry."_

_She looked him up and down and shifted her glasses back into their place. "Oh, I wasn't worried, honey," her melodic voice brushing against his ears. "Just wondering what a gorgeous man such as yourself has to be so frustrated about."_

_Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and widened his grin. He couldn't believe this beautiful woman, who had probably seen her fair share of "gorgeous" men, was so obviously attracted to _him_. Not to mention the fact that he knew she could have any man she wanted… it sure was a pride booster._

_She had this confident air about her, as if she knew that everyone knew what she did in her spare time and she didn't care. He was ready to test that theory. He was feeling playful._

"_Well, I'm pretty sure you know enough guys to have an idea, right?"_

_As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted saying them. It was rude, even for him, and he feared offending her rather than amusing her. _

_But, her reaction shocked him. She grinned at him, obviously aware of the not-so-hidden meaning behind his words. "Well, sweetie, my line of work has nothing to do with getting to know anyone. But, I'm sure you know that. You seem to know a lot."_

_Inuyasha's expression froze; he didn't know how to take that last comment._

"_Well, since you're so smart, maybe we could talk about the grand details of my life at another time, hm? Gotta pen?"_

_He squinted at her for a moment before he read into her awaiting eyes. He frantically searched for a pen, patting his back and side pockets. "Uh… no. I don't have one."_

_The beautiful woman in front of him gave him a playful pout and batted her eyes. "That's a shame. Well, I guess I'll see you never, cutie."_

_She threw up a lazy hand and headed down the sidewalk, her seductive hips swinging._

_It wasn't until then that the guilt hit him._

_His eyes were still glued to her frame as his face twisted into pain._

'_What the hell did I just do?'

* * *

_

Inuyasha pulled off his T-shirt and used it to clean the mess he had created. As he wiped the screen, he noticed the time in the bottom right corner.

'I should get upstairs,' he thought grudgingly. 'Kagome is probably wondering why I never came home this afternoon… or tonight… Hopefully, she's asleep and I won't need to explain anything.'

He finished cleaning up, fixed his pants, and turned off the computer. He balled his shirt up in his hand and went up the stairs to their bedroom, stepping with enough stealth to keep from revealing himself.

He cracked open the door before opening it fully, and then gazed at his sleeping wife, as he often did. He never entered a room she was in before sizing up her aura first.

Luckily, she was asleep, as he often preferred her. The scent of tears hung freshly in the air, though not as heavy as usual, and she was curled into a fetal position on her side of the bed. He briefly wondered what made today a better day than most, if maybe she had a moment of happiness that made her cry in the end.

The frown he didn't know he was sporting deepened and he leaned against the wall as he regarded her. Her back was facing him, which gave him an amazing view of her curves.

Inuyasha _loved_ Kagome. Period. He was surer of that than anything else in his miserable life. The problem was he didn't really know _how_ to love her. He was sure of that also.

In the Feudal Era, he was an outcast among his kind. A mutt. He knew no other hanyou than Naraku, and his opinion of him went without saying. Kikyo, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were the only ones who gave him a chance. They were the only ones who gave him even a glimpse of affection. Affection only a family could give.

But, Inuyasha, while he was a bachelor at the time, was never one to have many offers from females. He fell in love with Kagome initially because she was the only one who showed him he was attractive; the rest came later.

When they came to the Modern Era, he noticed that women reacted to him differently. They weren't like the ningens from his time; they openly flirted with him and didn't care even when he told them he was taken. While it annoyed him at first, he started getting used to the idea. He gradually began to like it, then began to relish in it. Over time, he even found himself flirting back.

It was a reflex. A problem the Kagome had no idea about. He hardly ever went out with Kagome, so anything he did outside of home was usually his secret.

Now, as he noticed her hipbone jutting out unnaturally under the blanket, he realized how the illusion of being wanted by other women poisoned his view of her. She had become a mere means to a comfortable home environment. When was the last time he considered her feelings? When did he ever ask her about her day, or talk to her about his? They used to talk for hours, joking and laughing, even flirting.

He smirked a bit, trying to remember those times when their love for each other was strong. Now it was as frail as she was… like she was slowly dying with their relationship.

There was a pain in his chest, sudden and sharp, and he knew it was his beast at once. He was such an idiot! Why didn't he think of that before?!

'When we mated, we were bound together in a way that can't compare to a human marriage. Because she's human, the effects of our relationship are causing more harm on her than it would me. That's why her body is…'

His beast surged again, for the fourth time that day, and he hunched over a bit. He felt its power and hunger course through his body. It didn't go away as immediate as before, and he trembled trying to keep his beast at bay. His nails dug into the wall behind him and he growled loudly.

"_Mine_!"

And as soon as it came on him, the feeling left, along with his intense urge to make love to his wife.

His heaved as he shivered and forced oxygen to work in his lungs. He heard rustling and his head snapped up to the bed.

Kagome moaned lightly and shifted onto her back under the blanket, but she didn't wake.

He eventually caught his breath and wiped the sweat that formed on his brow as he watched her.

'Damn drunken idiot… he was right…'

As he righted himself, something caught his eye. A shoebox… protruding from under the bed. His eyebrows scrunched together.

He knelt down and picked up the box, recognizing it as Kagome's from the logo of some designer he knew nothing about. It was old though, and knowing Kagome she probably never wore the shoes anymore.

He huffed, then chuckled a bit. 'Maybe she went all "crazy-shopper" on me because you can't wear designer shoes while battling demons,' he thought.

His curiosity getting the better of him, he opened the box to see the shoes. His eyes went wide.

'What… the… I know these are not what I think they are!'

Plastic. Colorful. All different round shapes and sizes. He had never seen so many in his life.

His mouth hung open as he examined them all. He used a clawed finger to carefully sift through them, careful to make as little noise as possible. His attempts were in vain. Suddenly, the entire box began to vibrate and a shrill buzzing sound bounced off the walls.

"Shit!" he hissed, trying to find the offending object. He finally discovered it to be the largest one, a translucent pink vibrator. He frantically fumbled with it, trying to find out how to turn it off. He finally found the small switch and flipped it. He looked toward the bed.

Kagome hadn't even stirred.

His body relaxed and he took a deep breath… only to stiffen up again. He gripped the box as a shiver ran through is body.

The scent of her arousal that radiated from the box almost caused his beast fight forward again before it returned to the recesses of his mind.

He examined pink contraption in his hand, turning it over.

'This… this isn't even close to my size… it can't possibly do a thing for her. This is what she's had to use? She shouldn't even be doing this. I should be the only one to touch her. Her body is mine. I just wish… I wasn't doing something worse.'

Starting to feel more emotional than he was willing to admit, he placed the toy back inside the box and closed the lid.

'I've… reduced her to this,' he thought.

He placed the box further under the bed than when he found it. His pained eyes darted in her direction.

'Mate… we never did finish that talk, did we? Tomorrow… after work. It's time I start taking care of you.'

* * *

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, even after a long wait. I know, I take a while people. My life have been a bit busy and I don't count on it slowing down anytime soon. School starts next week and that means waking up at 5 am. and getting home at 7pm. I'll get some free time in there somewhere, but not much.

Good news is, my next two chapters are almost done. Don't fret, loves.

Once again, thanks to the most amazing beta in the world, Nysrina.

Hope you enjoyed.


	9. Horrified

Before I begin this chapter, I think I need to address some things. I NEVER do this, so you know that it's important to the story.

There has been some concerns raised on how I see women and the portrayal of Kagome and Inuyasha's relationship thus far. I just want to get some things out on the table before we go any further.

1. I never have, nor ever will, think it's okay to make Kagome the "weak" character that depends solely on Inuyasha all the time. I think that Kagome was never weak in the manga/anime and I don't think that her loving Inuyasha could change her fiery personality. BUT let's make it known that…

2. Kagome and Inuyasha are MATED. Not just married or together, but bound together for a lifetime. And because of this, Kagome HAS to depend on Inuyasha. He is a male inu-hanyou. It is his nature to be the ALPHA. He doesn't know how to be anything but that in a relationship. Because she is mated to him, the bad effects cause her to LOSE HER WILL POWER to fight with him since she is human. This does not mean she is weak or doesn't have an opinion in their relationship. It only means that as a human woman, she will have to compromise a little bit.

3. Another thing: they didn't JUST leave the Feudal Era. They have been living in the modern era for years now. They didn't JUST become mated either. So, naturally, over time situations can change people. I have seen firsthand people who have such bold attitudes turn meek because of their love for someone they want to hold on to. Not to mention the fact that they can never separate.

4. Kagome isn't innocent. She has some things she has to deal with too. Keep in mind that she CHOSE to mate with Inuyasha without fully thinking out the CONSEQUENCES of that act. So did Inuyasha. They have to understand what they want from each other in their relationship and learn how to work things out. Inuyasha cannot function in a relationship where he isn't at least partly the alpha. He is A DEMON. Kagome cannot function in a relationship where she has no say. And because they don't understand each other, they both are suffering. They have to find a balance where Inuyasha can still feel like he has the final say and Kagome feels like she has a voice.

Let this be known that it is entirely my fault that I didn't portray these things in a way that you would understand them in my story. Some things I only said once, some I thought would be obvious, but it was my fault nonetheless. I hope you can forgive me for this offence. And I hope you don't take the bold letters as me being upset with anyone but myself.

Kagome isn't weak or innocent.

Inuyasha isn't a mindless jerk.

They will never break up because they CANNOT break up. That doesn't mean they won't want to.

Thank you.

* * *

Kagome stared at the plate, emotions flowing through her until she didn't know what to feel. The sun streamed into the kitchen from the window, enhancing the details of the mass on the ceramic dish.

Her eyebrows scrunched together as she tried to figure out what the vision was for the matter before her. Was it… a pancake? Scrambled eggs? Rice?

She lifted the plate from the table and experimentally sniffed it in hopes of understanding. It did little to help. The phone rang.

Confused frown still in place, Kagome placed the plate back on the table and traveled toward the counter to the phone.

"Hello?"

"_Hey, Kagome-chan_!" she heard an excited voice exclaim. "_How'd you sleep_?"

"I was… going to ask you the same thing…"

Toshiko giggled on her end of the phone. "_You okay, Kaggy? You sound kind of lost. What's up_?"

Kagome leaned against the counter and looked at the odd substance on the table. "Yeah… so I think… I think Inuyasha tried to make breakfast… for me…"

She held the phone to her ear, patiently waiting for her friend to respond. After a few moments, she said, "Uh… Toshi-chan?"

"What?!"

Kagome smiled a bit. "I know, right? But, here's the thing…" she said, humor seeping into her voice. "I don't even know… what he was trying to make. I mean, it's like this yellowy… grayish… blob on the plate. It's kind of flat, you know, like he was trying to make pancakes… but… he failed horribly…"

By then, Toshiko was laughing so hard, Kagome was sure she was rolling on the floor. Kagome had a couple laughs herself as she placed the phone on the counter and tried to lift herself up.

She cried out as one of her hands slipped from under her and she fell to the floor. Her head slammed against the cabinet as her bottom collided with the ceramic tiles.

"Urg…" she said, rubbing her head. "Owww," she groaned. She heard her friend calling her name from the phone. She reached up and grabbed the phone from the counter. "H-hey…"

"_What happened? I heard you scream_."

"I fell… off the counter…"

The phone went silent again before Toshiko burst out in another fit of laughter.

* * *

It was the mall today, 9 to 5. It was a Thursday, so things were not too busy. That sure didn't stop the shoplifters though.

"Get in there, you little brats," Inuyasha jeered as he shoved the last teenage boy into the security office. "Sit down… yeah, right over there."

"Come on, man!" protested the one closest to the metal door, his eyes wide with fear and desperation. "I didn't even take anything! Please don't call my mom!" Inuyasha almost laughed aloud when he saw the not-so-nice looks coming from his comrades.

"Look, I don't care what you say, kid. I saw you trying to watch for your friends. You're in as much trouble as they are."

The one in the red sweatshirt mumbled something.

"What was that you little brat?!" Inuyasha scowled at him. "I'll put my foot so far up your-"

"Now, Inuyasha, you know that's no way to talk to the little turds," his boss Masato said sarcastically from his end of the office. He was sitting at his desk in his corner of the office, watching the security cameras. "They don't know any better. Besides, whatever they stole, I'm pretty sure they needed it, right kids?"

Inuyasha scoffed, but smirked. "Yeah, every little kid needs a ¥ 2400 video game."

His boss laughed aloud at this, but kept his eyes on the monitors, Inuyasha noticed. He was watching a woman looking at jewelry.

"Well, kids, time to give me some names," Inuyasha said half-heartedly as he went to his desk.

None of the visibly nervous kids said a word. The one by the door, the preteen that was the most terrified, shifted anxiously in his seat.

"Come on, kids, we don't have all day. The sooner you give me your names and numbers the sooner we can put this all behind us, hm? You didn't technically steal the video game, so I won't report you, but I need to call your parents or you're sleeping here tonight."

He regarded all the kids carefully. The one farthest from the door in the red sweatshirt seemed more angry than worried, and it appeared to be directed at the only one who had spoken thus far. He was still silent and determined to stay that way, it seemed.

The kid in the middle looked calm, like he knew there was nothing to worry about, although he kept glancing at Inuyasha. He didn't like the looks he was giving him… he had seen a similar look on the face of his half brother right before he said something that made him want to bury Tetsusaiga in his smart mouth.

"My… my name's Aki…" stuttered the last one, his voice as small as he appeared. "Fujiwara Aki."

"Why don't you shut up, you pussy?!" the angry kid exclaimed, angrily. He jumped from his seat.

"Hey!" Inuyasha launched toward the irate adolescent and shoved him back into the chair. "Sit your ass down!"

The kid jumped up again tried to push him off his feet, but failed miserably. Inuyasha grabbed him by his collar and brought his face close to his, lifting his feet from the ground.

"What did I tell you, huh?" Inuyasha breathed into the boy's face, unconsciously baring his fangs, or teeth as far as the boy could see. Fury coursed through him like a tidal wave and he watched as fear etched in to the boy's eyes for the first time. "I'm really not in the mood today, kid! I'm not going to say it again. Sit. _Down_."

He felt a hand on his left shoulder. "Come on, Inuyasha…" Masato said carefully. "Put him down."

Inuyasha blinked and his grip loosened. He hadn't realized how he must have looked to everyone. But, as he let the boy to the floor and watched the faces of the people around him, he began to realize how he must have looked to the small group. He imagined that if Kagome was present, she would probably see his eyes changing from a blazing red back to their normal color.

The boy who was previously in his grasp flopped down in his chair in a hurry, breathing erratically and glaring up at him with a mix of fury and terror. Inuyasha stared down at him, wondering just how frightening he must have looked to him. He felt the hand on his shoulder tighten.

"You alright, Taisho?" Masato asked, humor just barely skimming the concern in his voice.

Inuyasha let out a breath. 'What the heck is wrong with me?' he thought. He flexed his hands and curled them into fists.

"Come over here and have a seat, Inuyasha. I wouldn't want you to hurt the delinquents." He chuckled a bit while ushering Inuyasha to his small desk.

"S-sorry boss…" he mumbled, running a hand down his face. He sat down in his chair. "I don't… I don't know what came over me."

"I know _exactly_ what's bothering you, Taisho!" said Masato, a wide grin adorning his face. He threw up his hands. "You need to get laid!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, trying and failing to keep the smirk that emerged on his face. "Come on, Sato…"

"All that anger… just washed out!" he said, lifting his eyebrows repeatedly and reminding Inuyasha very much of a perverted old man.

Inuyasha chuckled. "Yeah… maybe you're right."

He felt his beast calling for its mate once again, though not strongly enough to cause a scene.

'I need to at least talk to her. Otherwise I won't be able to function. My beast just won't settle down.'

"Hey, boss… you think I could use the phone?"

He shrugged. "Sure thing, kid. We got to make sure to call their parents first. Then you can go ahead and call your wife."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Who said-"

"Come on, everyone knows who you're trying to call, Inuyasha. Let's just get this over with before you kill us all."

Inuyasha laughed again, but not as heartily, thinking about what would have happened had his beast actually burst through in front of them. They would see him change, but they would see something and his getting fired would be a best-case-scenario.

"Alright, just go back to stalking women around the mall on that camera. Enough chit chat. What's your number, Fujiwara?"

The child by the door gazed up at him, his eyes still terrified. He glanced down the row to the previously explosive teen and then back at Inuyasha, trying to decide if he should continue. Inuyasha huffed impatiently.

"Look kid, we don't have all-"

"40! No…43… 12… 5689 4508."

Inuyasha scribbled it on his notepad. "Good kid, good kid. Now, how about you?" Inuyasha tilted his chin in the second child's direction. "You haven't said much. Name and number."

The teenager was still regarding him as his half-brother would, but not in such a blatant way. He had a T-shirt on with a logo from some new anime that was out and a pair of designer jeans. His hair was cut and trimmed. He looked like the only one of the three who came from money.

Inuyasha masked his emotion well, but he was starting to get a bit nervous. 'The way this kid is looking at me… it's like he… _knows_ me.'

"Shou Takumi," the boy said. His voice sounded oddly… wise. And indifferent. Like he could see right through him and knew everything about him. The way his eyes bore into his… Inuyasha resisted the urge to shiver.

"Okay… number?"

He only glared at him for a moment, long enough for Inuyasha to begin to wonder whether he would offer his telephone number at all. Finally, he broke the silence.

"87-34-6425-3585."

Inuyasha scribbled it all down, glancing at the boy and turning to the last teen.

'That is one creepy kid,' he thought.

"Now you, in the sweatshirt."

The youngster crossed his arms in front of him and glared at nothing, pointedly ignoring the increasingly irritated hanyou.

Inuyasha ran a hand down his face. "Don't you think you've tried me enough today, kid?" He mumbled.

"Why should I give you any of that stuff?!" The boy exploded. "You're just going to call my parents and bitch about nothing and get me in trouble! I didn't do shit!"

Inuyasha could feel that familiar rage setting in again. "Look here you little ba-"

"Okay!" Masato cut in, rolling a chair across the room. "How about you come over here and I'll get your information so that we all can go home and get out of this office, huh?" He had a grin on his face, but anyone could practically feel the annoyance radiating from him. "Inuyasha, please call your wife. I'll call the parents. This has already taken way too long."

Inuyasha smirked. "Sure thing, boss. Thanks."

He reached for his desk phone and punched in his house number in anticipation. He didn't know how Kagome would react; he hadn't called her from his job in years.

The phone rang once… twice… three times…

"Hello?" Kagome's voice sang lightly. She sounded like she had been laughing.

"H-hey, Kagome." Inuyasha couldn't believe he was nervous to talk to his own wife. "How's it going?"

There was a small pause before she answered him. "Um… okay… why? Is something wrong?"

"No, no… I, uh… just wanted to call… you know, to check in or whatever."

"Or whatever?" He almost tasted the sarcasm in her voice.

He chuckled. "Yeah, is that so hard to believe?"

"Yeah, Inu. You don't… _call_ me."

Inuyasha clenched his hand into a fist again, hearing the hidden accusation that he was sure he deserved. "Yeah, well, that's going to change."

There was another pause, and he could picture her cute, round face trying to process what he was trying to say and searching for deception. "Okay, then, Inuyasha. So… breakfast?"

Inuyasha's face reddened. He had forgotten about his feeble attempt at pancakes. He could use the waffle maker and even make eggs, but it was something about pancakes that made him feel like he just jumped through the well.

"Yeah, I was going to throw that away, but I thought you might have wanted to give me an E for effort," he said jokingly, fainting remembering when Kagome had first used the joke years ago.

He heard her laughter and his heart clenched. 'When was the last time I heard that? I can't even remember how long it's been since I made her laugh.'

"Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out what it is!" she uttered, still giggling.

Inuyasha grinned, "They are that bad, huh? Wow, maybe I should get cooking lessons. You're going to teach me how to make pancakes."

"Pancakes, huh? I don't even know a recipe to give you or what to measure; my mother taught me to just put in what looks right… I'll look it up and print it out for a reference. You can't just waste my good eggs like that."

He had the urge to say, jokingly of course, that it was his money that paid for the eggs, but he was sure that was too sensitive a topic to joke about quite yet. He was amazed they were even joking in the first place. Not too long ago, they were screaming at each other.

'It's funny what a plate of diseased pancakes can do for a relationship,' Inuyasha thought.

"It will never happen again, wench."

"Damn straight," she mumbled absently. "And stop calling me wench, dog-boy. I thought we were done with that."

"You'll always be my wench, wench. And when did you start with using language like that?"

"I got it from you, mate. You forget that I'm a part of you." It was pleasant to hear the smile in her voice when she said that.

"Don't you ever forget it, wench."

"Sure…" she sounded as if her mind was busy.

"What are you up to?"

"I'm just… uh… getting this recipe…"

"Oh, yeah. We need to talk when I get home so get ready, okay? No more interruptions from your nosy-ass friend."

He expected a smart remark from her, as she was always loyal to her friend, but he heard nothing. He waited a while, but still got no answer.

"Kagome?"

Still, nothing.

All of a sudden, he felt a sharp pain his shoulder where his mate mark was. He cringed, trying to hide his discomfort from the others in the room. "What the hell?" he mumbled.

"Kagome, you there?" he said a bit louder, panic slowly starting to creep into him. Did something happen to her? Was she hurt? "Answer me, Kagome!"

He heard some fumbling with the phone and then her choked voice reached his ears. "I… gotta go."

The line went dead.

"What…?" he pulled the phone from his head and looked at it, as if it would tell him what was going on.

"Everything alright, Taisho?" He heard Masato ask from his desk.

"I… I don't know. Everything was fine… and then she just hung up on me. She sounded… hurt."

"What did you say to her?"

The distraught hanyou swiveled the chair to face his boss. "The last thing I said was that we were going to talk when I got home. She couldn't have… "

"Yep, she's mad at you."

Inuyasha frowned. "What the hell for?"

"Who knows?! But, whatever you two are going to talk about she doesn't want to talk to you about it."

Inuyasha's eyebrows scrunched together, trying to consider his scenario and still not believing it. 'She… she doesn't want to talk that bad? What is she afraid of? Things can't get much worse between us.'

He could still feel the pain, her pain, through the mate mark and he knew his boss could be right. He knew the difference between when she's facing physical pain and emotional. She was definitely terribly upset about something.

"One of the parents should be showing up soon, Inuyasha. You should get the forms."

Inuyasha nodded absently, still in deep thought.

'Why is this girl do damn confusing…?'

* * *

"It will never happen again, wench," Inuyasha said.

"Damn straight," Kagome said as she opened up a window for the internet. "And stop calling me wench, dog-boy. I thought we were done with that. She typed in pancake recipe in the search engine and pressed enter. A list of possible sites with different recipes appeared on the screen. She saw one she liked, but kept looking.

"You'll always be my wench, wench. And when did you start with using language like that?"

Kagome smiled. "I got it from you, mate. You forget that I'm apart of you." She could hardly believe this conversation was going so well.

She flipped through some of the recipes, then went to the history to find a link to the first one she saw. Some caught her eye as she scrolled down.

"Don't you ever forget it, wench."

'Candy land?' Kagome thought, wondering why either of them would have gone to a site about candy.

"Sure…" she said as she read the link. '?'

"What are you up to?"

Her palms began to sweat as she considered pressing the link. She had a horrible feeling… the kind of feeling she would get when she felt danger nearby. "I'm just… uh… getting this recipe…"

She pressed the link.

Immediately, a black screen came up, followed by a window in the middle of the page that started playing a video. It looked like a costume shop; the border had pictures of various items, like fairy wings, cowboy hats, and animals. Kagome frowned deeply. She absently heard Inuyasha saying something on his end of the phone.

Kagome's mouth hung open as the video progressed. She clenched the phone and started to tremble when she realized just what she was watching. She wanted to believe it was some type of joke… but it was all too real. This… woman… barely covered, then completely uncovered… running around a jewelry store doing unholy things with what items she found.

She looked just like her. And Inuyasha had been watching it.

She just barely heard her cheating husband calling her name. She blinked, tearing her eyes away from the computer wiping the wetness from her cheeks.

'I should have known… this whole time he was with her, not me.'

"I… gotta go."

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed it; I worked very hard on this one. School started last week and I tried to do as much as I could. Thanks again to my amazing beta without whom I probably would be lost. And I hope the message at the top was helpful. I'll try to be more clear next time.


	10. Changed

Kagome sat on the bathroom counter gazing at herself in the mirror. She had tried to sleep after she finished crying, but of course her mind wouldn't sleep. Her imagination had been plagued by the images she saw on that screen.

She looked ten times worse than when they had that huge argument. Her eyes were dull. Her hair had wilted even further from all her stress. Her body had thinned more, her cheeks sunken more. She had turned into this… monster. This human being that walked, talked, breathed… servitude.

Kagome had always thought that this would be easy. Inuyasha loved her, and she loved him, and that's all that mattered. It seemed like a fairy tale ending to some great and wonderful story. But, she never thought she would ever find herself like this. She thought that because Inuyasha was a half-demon, his rough exterior was just that. The exterior. She had seen his compassionate side and she thought that maybe once they were mated and married he would show it all the time.

Then, she would continue to shower him with her love. He would feel as if he was valued and so would she. They would live in modern time, get their own jobs… she would fulfill her dreams with the man she loved.

She had been wrong, obviously. He was off living his life while she stayed at home, waiting on him and for him. Everything she did, it was either for him or because of him. She cooked and cleaned for him. She kept up her facade for him. She dealt with bills and credit cards and strange women calling the house… for him. The alpha. The half-man in charge.

It wasn't natural. Not for the old Kagome.

The old Kagome was dying, and all that was left was simply mate and wife.

'This isn't me. This isn't what I wanted to be. I love Inuyasha, but I can't do this anymore. I was never the kind of girl who would just… lay there and take it. But, now look at me. I can't even stand up to him.

Kagome felt a bit at a loss. She didn't want to talk to him, or even look at him. But, she couldn't leave him. After everything… practically cheating on her with some virtual woman and some teenager at a bar… she was still his mate and she had to deal with being under him. Always submitting. Always yielding.

An old, familiar rage slowly rose in her. 'No… I'll end up killing myself if I don't do something now.' Her face hardened with resolve as she stared back at herself. 'I can't keep living like this… there has to be another way.'

With a bit more determination, she hopped off the counter and looked at herself in the mirror once more. She fixed her hair and stood up a little taller, feeling her lost pride slowly finding its way back into her veins.

'There _is_ another way, but it won't be me that's going to budge. Not for him.'

She went to find the phone.

* * *

Inuyasha could hardly concentrate for the rest of the day. He didn't know what was bothering his mate, but it was killing him that he couldn't go home and find out. He could still partially feel her emotions through the mate mark, though only a fraction. It agitated him to no end. He sat in the office, his arms crossed across his chest and his foot tapping, watching the three delinquents in the chairs across from him.

He couldn't think of any reason why she would freak out the way she did. Things were fine. They were joking back and forth… laughing… why didn't she want to talk to him? What could she possibly be afraid of? That he would say something that might hurt her again? Was she that damaged from the past couple of weeks? He was at a loss for what to expect when he got home.

"Would you quit that infernal tapping?" he heard Takumi hiss from across the room. He looked up to see the smart mouthed adolescent giving him a look that would have a normal person disintegrate on the spot. It merely irritated the hanyou.

"Hey, shut up, kid! I don't want to hear a word out of you until someone comes to get you," Inuyasha growled. They couldn't hear the growl, but he wouldn't be shocked if they felt it. He was in no mode to deal with children.

Takumi got a look on his face then, one that he hadn't seen in years. He looked at him like he was beneath him, dirt that should be flicked off of his shoe. It alarmed Inuyasha for a moment. His mind went back to times where he felt like that dirt, and for a slight second, he cringed.

'Have I really forgotten what it felt like… to be treated like scum?' Inuyasha thought, astounded.

The boy obviously saw this and his expression changed to one that was satisfied, which brought Inuyasha out of his reverie. He growled low in his throat and bared his teeth at the boy.

"What the fuck are you looking at?!" Inuyasha shot up from his chair and clenched his fists at his sides. He wouldn't let anyone make him feel like trash again. "You got something to say to me?! Sato isn't here, so if I want to smack you around a bit, there's no one here to stop me!"

"Excuse me?!" he heard from the doorway of the office. He spun around to see an irate woman with her hand at her hip glaring daggers much like the ones the boy had sent him. She wore a pair of jeans and heals with a blue button-down silk shirt. She looked oddly familiar… but not familiar enough for Inuyasha to recall.

"You won't be laying a hand on my son!" she continued, waving an accusatory hand at him. "How about I slap you around a bit, you… you... wait…" she paused, her face going blank. "Don't I know you?"

"Uh…" Inuyasha frowned at her, trying to pull at his memory. Her scent wasn't familiar, but her voice… no, it couldn't be her. She had short haircut, and this woman had long auburn hair. And the other woman wore much more make-up. It didn't make sense.

"Oh, yeah!" She smirked and walked into the office, her hips swaying. "You're that gorgeous bastard that was kicking his tires. I remember you."

Inuyasha was at a lost then. She couldn't possibly be that woman. They smelled too different. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't smell her scent at all.

'What the… no scent? That doesn't make any sense!'

Inuyasha must have looked utterly confused because she giggled at him. "You are such a _cute_ puppy. You look so lost."

Inuyasha deepened frown. 'Puppy?' he thought. 'What the _fuck_…?'

She started fishing through the purse she has carried in with her. "Come on Takumi, we're going home."

The boy immediately got up and walked toward her, his eyes and posture screaming regal indifference. When he came to his mother's side, he glared at Inuyasha.

"I thought I had a piece of paper…" she mumbled, still rummaging through her bag. "I meant to give you my number before…"

Inuyasha's eyes widened and he stiffened. 'Her number?' he thought, cautiously. 'No… I have to do the right thing. I have to make this right with Kagome.'

"Uh… um, that…" He cleared his throat. "That won't be necessary. I don't think that's a good idea…"

She looked up at him, her expression surprised and a bit confused. Then, a flash of understanding and amusement crossed her face. "You think…? No, no puppy-boy, I don't even like you. You see, you're a jerk, and I really regret giving you the time of day."

Inuyasha scowled. "What-"

"No, this is far more important. I think if you're not as much of an idiot as I think, you might understand what I'm talking about."

She pulled out a piece of napkin and stole a pen from the desk. She leaned over and scribbled something on the napkin and then handed it to him. "We need to talk," she said, an uncharacteristically solemn expression on her face. "I'm serious. This isn't some joke. You need to call me, and soon."

Inuyasha didn't know what to think of that. When did this situation get so serious? What did she mean?

All of a sudden , he felt a power surge through him that was all too recognizable. His fists clenched to his sides and squeezed his eyes closed. "_Shit_…" he mumbled.

'Not right now,' he thought, frustrated and tired. 'I need to get home. It's getting harder to control myself.'

"Look at him, mother," he barely heard the indignant boy huff. "He's like a dog in _heat_."

He forced his eyes open and bared his invisible fangs at the boy. "I think you should leave, kid," he growled at him, still fighting for control. He could feel the sweat forming on his brow and he began to tremble.

"Oh, great!" Masato said as he strolled in from the hall. "Shou-san's mother is here. So, Inuyasha you… Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha closed his eyes again, wrestling for control of his own body. He found the strength to sit down in the chair near him.

"Well, we'll be going now," he heard an amused velvety voice say. "Don't forget to call me!"

Once the footsteps of the woman and her son had faded from the room, Masato came to kneel next to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha… are you okay? Maybe you should-"

"No," Inuyasha insisted. He knew his boss would try to send him home. He put up his hand. "No, I just need some fresh air. I'll be back in a minute."

He jumped up from his seat and crossed the office, then burst through the door. A young couple was by the door and he accidentally pushed the man into his companion.

"Hey, watch it!" the man exclaimed, steadying the woman with him. They both sent him in annoyance.

"S-sorry." Inuyasha didn't have time to stop and speak to them. His beast would come out if he didn't have a place to go fix himself. He rushed in the direction of the exit without sparing them a second look.

Once he made it outside, he half jogged to the side of the building where the trucks dropped off shipments to the mall. He leaned against a brick wall and tried to calm himself.

'Damn… this can't keep happening to me. I'm going to lose my job. I have to do something… but Kagome won't want to, especially now that she's upset with me for absolutely no good reason.'

He didn't want to hurt Kagome anymore than he already had. But, the repercussions for not letting his beast have his mate… he could endanger a lot of people. Surely, Kagome knew this.

'No… no she's not going to let me near her,' he thought with dread. 'She probably can't stand me right now. It's not like I don't deserve it.'

He'd try to make it to the end of the day. He would work through it. Then, he would go home and hope his mate understood. He didn't know what he would do otherwise.

* * *

"That disgusting little_ shit_…"

Kagome sighed and curled her legs under her on the couch. "Come on, Toshi…"

Her best friend paced the room and fiery hair swinging behind her as if it was an extension of her attitude. "What?! That's exactly what he is!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Yes, maybe he is, but as his mate I can't let you call him shit." She was oddly calm. "It's enraging the little bit of demon he put in me."

"How can you not be totally upset at this?!" She said, stopping to point at Kagome. "Why aren't you up here pacing with me?"

"What do you think I was doing earlier today? Didn't you hear me on the phone? I'm done crying over his sorry ass. I'm happy to watch you be pissed off though."

Toshiko put her hands on her hips in her signature way. "So, you can call him a sorry ass, but I can't?"

Kagome smirked at her friend. "Would you like it if I called your mate a sorry ass?"

Toshiko threw her hands up. "All men are sorry asses!"

Hiroshi cleared his throat. "Excuse me, mate?"

Toshiko turned to her husband, looking slightly panicked. "Oh, hi honey! I didn't see you there…"

Hiroshi stood there, his striped dressed shirt rumpling under his crossed arms and his usual glasses missing from his face. "Yes, of course," he said with a smirk. "We'll discuss your punishment later."

Kagome ignored her best friend's blush. "Hiroshi-san, did you get contacts?" she asked nonchalantly.

He smiled at Kagome, regarding her a moment. He seemed to be trying to gauge her state of mind before answering. "Yes. Yes, I did in fact. I think I'm going to keep them. The glasses were a nuisance."

Kagome grinned back at him. "But, I thought the glasses were very becoming."

"Maybe, but these are much more convenient. I think I'll still wear the glasses sometimes, but mostly use the contacts."

Toshiko glared at Kagome and then at Hiroshi, clearly irritated. "What the… why are you so damn calm, Kagome?"

Hiroshi turned to his wife. "Isn't it obvious? Our Kagome has a plan."

Toshiko narrowed her eyes at Kagome. "Plan? What kind of plan? Your last plan left you malnourished and frustrated, Kagome. Don't do anything stupid."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "It's not a plan, really. I think… I think I'm just done, Toshiko. I want to be with Inuyasha so much… I love him with all I am. I'm his mate, and nothing will ever change that. But…" she sighed. "But I think our _marriage_ it over."

Toshiko's whole demeanor softened and she came to sit by her. "Oh, Kagome…"

Kagome's eyes watered a bit, but her voice stayed strong. "There's nothing I can do now. This was the absolute last straw. He basically cheated on me with some… cyber woman who looked just like me, only curvier. And then that other girl? I mean, she could have been lying about the flirting, but the fact that he was even at the bar… it's like he's this person I don't know anymore with a whole separate life that I'm not a part of." She sighed. "So… I'll continue to be his mate, but I don't know if I can keep being his wife…"

"Is… that even possible?" Hiroshi wondered aloud.

"I don't know…" Kagome said, taking a deep breath. "I just… I just know that I can't be with him the same way. He's hurt me too much. I did all my crying today… I did enough crying today and this past week to last me a lifetime. I'm going to live my life. Somehow, I'm going to get out from under his thumb."

Toshiko gave her friend a sad smile and put an arm around her. "Kags… I'll help in any way I can, okay? You're like the sister I've always wanted, you know that right? Just let me know."

Kagome turned to Toshiko, regarding her serious and sympathetic face. She felt a familiar sensation creep through her chest as she regarded the intense feeling on her face.

'Wow… it's like… Sango all over again. Have the gods really given me another sister?'

She suddenly missed Sango, more than she had since she got over her death. The face of her fallen friends flashed in her mind, their cheerful faces smiling at her. Tears she didn't know she left a trail down her cheeks.

She leaned over and hugged her new sister tightly, and received an even tighter hug in response.

"Thanks, Toshi," she croaked, her voice cracking.

"I mean it, Kagome," Toshiko said with conviction. "Just let me know what I can do. Don't close me off like you did before. I'll support you no matter what."

Kagome felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Hiroshi holding a box of tissue he took from her bathroom. "Here you go."

Kagome smiled up at him. "A bit of déjà vu, hm?" she pulled away from their hug and took the box. "You're always there when I need some tissues Hiroshi-san."

He smiled warmly back at her. "That's what I'm here for. Just don't make it a habit."

Kagome cleaned herself up and grinned at the two of them. "I couldn't ask for better friends. Now, because you're such good friends, you're going to go out with me tonight. I feel like staying out late tonight."

* * *

Yes, I know. You are upset. That is fine. I would be too if a story I was reading didn't get updated for months. I will plead your forgiveness though. I'm so busy with school and all my extra things that I had forgotten about Raw Forgiveness. I have finally put it up, and now I am ready to start giving it a bit more attention.

I have what I want to do for the next few chapters planned out, so all it takes is typing it up and posting it. The next chapter is basically done. I'll give you guys some time to enjoy this chapter, and then I will post it.

I would appreciate the reviews.

mew...


	11. Surrendered

It felt like a combination of pneumonia and slowly suffocating in a small box about the size of your body. He was sweating, his face was pale, and he was beginning to scare away most of the innocent mall shoppers who walked past him with a watchful eye. He was starting to tremble and he when he couldn't stand there forever.

His beast had been threatening him all day to come out. His eyes were flashing red, though he knew that no one could see it. It was unbearable, and yet he had to bear it. He needed to bear it. He had a job to attend to. He had to be someone Kagome could count on. That's what he came to the modern era to be.

"_Inuyasha_?" He heard someone say.

Inuyasha turned his head and saw Masato standing right beside him. "Y-yes, boss?"

"You look like shit, kid," he face scrunched up in a look of disgust. "What are you doing here?"

"W-what?" he managed to get out.

"What the heck are you doing here? You need to get out of my mall before you get someone sick! You look like you got a bad case of the flu… is that what's been bothering you lately?

Inuyasha couldn't respond. He simply looked at his boss and tried not to burst into flames.

"Go home, Takahashi… get some rest. Come to work when you're better."

Inuyasha nodded, but felt a deep feeling of dread. He knew full well that going home would probably pose more problems than he could deal with. He couldn't go to Kagome like this, not when he wasn't even sure why she was so upset. He couldn't stay there though, not if he still wanted his job.

There was always one place he could go.

* * *

Mei was frightened, to say the least. Her favorite customer had strolled into the bar looking like he was going to throw up any minute. She dried off a glass mug and sat in on the back counter, watching him carefully as he shakily drunk the beer she had given him.

"Inu… Inuyasha?"

He glanced up at her, then back down at his drink.

"Are you… are you on drugs?"

His face turned up at her then, giving her a very frightening look. She stepped back a little. "I'm not on drugs!" he wheezed out.

Mei frowned at him and tried to shake off the fear that radiated through her when he looked at her like that. She gripped the counter behind her. "Sorry… geez… it's just… most guys that come in here like that are either alcoholics or drug addicts who need a fix… so you're just sick?"

She received no response from the trembling man in front of her.

Her frown deepened. "I can't believe I'm saying this but… maybe you should go home to your wife. Let her take care of you a bit. Even if she's mad, she'll probably still help you."

Mei was confused at the facial expression that came upon him… fear. Fear and disgust. "No… she… she won't help me…" His body oddly trembled harder.

Mei was really disturbed now. She had never seen him like this. "She hates you that much?"

Inuyasha's hand gripped the mug he was holding so hard that the handle broke. Mei backed away slowly, her mouth hanging open in shock.

'What the…?!'

He slowly turned to look at her, death and something else devilishly dangerous in his eyes. "_My mate doesn't hate me_," he practically growled. Then he swiftly stood, flinging the mug onto the floor. The whole bar went quiet.

Mei wanted to run as she saw him baring his teeth at her like a lunatic. Like an animal. He continued to scowl at her, his eyes burned into hers, freezing her in place like a deer in headlights. She sure was terrified like one.

Kuro burst in from the back door. "What the hell is going on in here?!" he exclaimed.

Inuyasha's eyes averted to him, snapping Mei out of the curse she was under. He stood there a moment before heading out the door.

Mei tried to gain back her composure, controlling the shiver that went down her spine. Something was definitely wrong with him.

'Mate…?'

"What the hell was that, Mei?" Kuro said, now directing his anger at her. He closed in on her and gripped her arm painfully. "What did you say to him?"

Mei winced. "Damn it, Kuro! I didn't say anything!" She tried to pull away from him, but his iron grip brought her back. "I just asked him if his wife hated him or something 'cause he didn't want to go home!"

"Don't lie to me, you slu-"

"Kuro, my good man!" Mei heard a voice yell from the door. She recognized it as Daisuke's. "How's life? Keeping your blood pressure down?"

Kuro looked up at the man while Mei kept her head down. She knew that if he started talking to Daisuke, he would let her go.

"Hey, Daisuke. Come grab a drink." Kuro turned back to Mei. "We'll talk about this at home, hm?" he hissed.

He loosened his grip on her forearm and Mei let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Kuro began to make Daisuke's drink. The bar went back to its normal routine as if nothing happened.

That's the way it always happened when Kuro treated her like this in public. After it was over, they just acted like nothing happened. Some would even look at her with distain, like she was the interruption of their good time.

But, as Daisuke kept chatting with Kuro, he spared her a couple knowing glances while she cleaned the bar.

She spared him a couple thankful ones.

* * *

Inuyasha staggered up the stairs, barely holding on to himself. He fell into the wall and clutched his chest.

"Got… to control…" he wheezed, barely breathing. His beast wanted out. He had been neglecting it for far too long. Now, it was trying to break through to get everything that Inuyasha had been holding back from him.

And it wanted Kagome.

'She's got to understand. I can't go on like this. She might get hurt… other people might get hurt…'

He continued up the stairs, his fangs biting into his bottom lip and his claws tearing holes into his favorite uniform shirt. When he reached their bedroom door, he pushed it open and took a moment to inhale her strong scent.

Once he had a bit more control, his eyes swept the room. The lights were off. The bathroom door was open and the light was off. The bed was empty.

His eyes went wide.

* * *

Kagome giggled and let out another howl in the backseat. "Woo! That was so awesome!"

Toshiko turned around, "Would you calm down, Kagome? You're scaring the unsuspecting pedestrians!"

They both burst into booming laughter.

"Do you have your seatbelt on, Kagome?" Hiroshi asked urgently from the driver's seat.

Kagome couldn't stop giggling. "Relax, Shi-shi, I got my belts on."

Toshiko seemed to think that was hilarious and sputtered into laughter once again.

Hiroshi sighed. "I don't know why I let you both drink so much…"

"Because you know I'm always so good in bed when I'm drunk…" Toshiko grinned and reached over to grip his crotch.

Hiroshi jumped and the car swerved a bit. "D-damn it, Toshiko! I'm driving!"

She giggled and loosened her grip, but her hand didn't move. "You're no fun, koi!"

"Hey!" Kagome exclaimed. "I live on this street!"

Hiroshi shook his head as he pulled into her driveway. "And this is your house, Kagome."

"It…it is?" Kagome giggled. "If you say so Shi-Shi…" She took off her seat belt.

"Stop calling my mate Shi-Shi!" Toshiko hissed. "His name is Iroppoi-sama!"

Hiroshi blushed scarlet. "Kagome, please get out of the car before your mate kills me."

Kagome grinned at Hiroshi and turned to open the door. Then she frowned. "I… I don't know how…"

The exhausted man sighed and exited the car. He came around to Kagome's side and opened her door.

Kagome tumbled out, only to be caught by Hiroshi. "Woops!" she said, her voice a bit hoarse. She clung to his shirt. "Sorry, Iroppoi-sama."

Hiroshi sighed. "Come on, Kagome, let me get you in the house."

"No!" She said, slightly pushing on him. "No, I… I got it. Inuyasha is going to be… upset…"

Pushing against Hiroshi for support, she righted herself and began to stumble towards her door.

"Thanks for a great time, guys! We have to do this again!"

"Sure thing, Kags!" Toshiko yelled from her seat.

"Don't count on it!" Hiroshi hollered back. "Ow! Toshiko!"

Kagome giggled and reached for her door knob. She turned it and realized it was locked. She sighed heavily and braced herself against the door. She fumbled her purse open to find her keys.

Suddenly, the door swung open. Before she had time to find her balance, she felt herself being grabbed and slammed into something.

"Ow!" she wailed, wincing from the impact. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she her head was swimming.

She heard as well as felt heavy breathing very close to her face. She felt hands gripping her arms and claws pricking at her skin. A soft, yet intense growling radiated through her body as it met her ears.

"_Mate…_" she heard him growl.

She flung her eyes open.

Fiery red eyes glared back at her.

Before she could let the fear overtake her, she felt herself being lifted off her feet. Her vision blurred again until she felt something soft under her and something hard on top of her.

Then, pain. Pain that started from her shoulder and spread to her neck and skull. She cried out in agony, suddenly feeling very sober.

* * *

Inuyasha bit down hard on her mate mark, not even realizing how deep. He just needed to exert his possession over her, and that's all that fueled his action. He could tell that his beast was taking over far more than he wanted it to right now, but he couldn't stop himself.

He barely registered her cry of pain, but it was enough to make him loosen his grip. She tried to push him away, but of course he wouldn't budge. There would be no way to fight him off. Not tonight.

When she finally began to calm under him, he removed his fangs from her shoulder and immediately began licking the wound, trying to heal it. He let his tongue drag over her skin in slow strokes, getting all the blood and closing the wound. The taste of her blood sent his senses into a frenzy and he felt himself hardening in between his legs.

She was completely relaxed now. Inuyasha figured that she was probably enjoying it. When was the last time he gave her this much attention? She moaned softly and turned her head a bit, giving him more access.

'She's obviously drunk,' Inuyasha thought. 'Or, she's really enjoying this as much as I am. Why did I let anything come in the way of this?'

In Inuyasha's mind, this was long overdue. He realized that it wasn't just his beast that needed her, he needed her too. He hadn't touched her like this in so long.

As he felt the wound closing up, he used his knee to spread her legs so that she would startle him. She hadn't reacted yet, so it didn't seem like she minded. Once he had settled in between her legs, he reached down and stroked her left thigh, trying to gauge a reaction from her.

She continued to lay there, softly moaning. She didn't reach for him, but she didn't push him away, and he took that as a good sign.

Once his bite was healed to his satisfaction, he moved his tongue to her neck, first licking then kissing the sensitive skin. She moaned a bit louder and he could smell a bit of her arousal. He grinned against her skin.

He began to grind his hips into hers.

She stiffened.

He could feel her slowly registering what was going on. He could smell the anger start to seep into her scent and the arousal completely disappearing.

'Oh, shit…' Inuyasha thought.

"No!" Kagome suddenly exclaimed, pushing him.

Inuyasha sat up a bit to look into her distressed eyes, but he didn't budge. He felt his beast start to become enraged. His eyes widened and his teethed bared. "_No_?!"

She pushed harder against him, but to no avail. "I said no, Inuyasha! I will not do this. I've put up with your shit for this long, but now I have to put my foot down. No!"

Inuyasha was trembling violently by then, trying to keep control as long as possible. But, now his beast was fuming, fighting to fully be released. The thought of his mate turning him away was infuriating, for the both of them. He knew she was hurting, but this was way more important than that. She was reminding him of how annoyingly stubborn she could be.

"Kagome, now is not the time to be childish!" Inuyasha practically roared.

"I mean it, Inuyasha!" she slapped at his chest. "I won't let you do this to me again. You don't even want me! It's your beast that does."

Inuyasha was slightly shocked by her outburst, but not too much. With the way things were going, it was safe to assume that he didn't. They hadn't had sex in so long. His felt his pants tighten even more thinking about it.

"What are you talking about, you idiot! Of course I want you. I've always wanted you."

She pushed at his chest again, fiercely. "You liar!" she cried, tears forming in her eyes. "You would much rather have Kiyomi under you, right?"

Inuyasha stiffened then, alarm and terror overwhelming him.

'She… she _knew_?'

"Thought I didn't know about that, huh?!" she said, her eyes fierce with anger. "You should do a better job at cleaning up your history next time! Or, what about that girl who called the house? Mei? Isn't she someone else you would rather be on top of right now?"

Inuyasha scowled at her. 'Mei?!'

"What are you talking about, wench?!" he responded, huskily. "Mei called the house? She's the barten…" he stopped himself.

Kagome looked at him in disgust, the tears sparkling in her hurt-filled eyes. "I knew it. The bartender, right? The one who thinks she's going to steal you from me. Too bad I don't even have you anymore."

Inuyasha stared into her angry, wounded eyes and his heart clenched. Suddenly, he felt another strong pulse. His whole body tensed as his beast fought to break free.

"Kagome… Kagome, I know I hurt you," he grounded out, shakily. "Kami knows I don't deserve your sympathy. But, we both know what will happen if you turn me away. My beast will still break free and when you reject it, it will go and find one unwilling female after another until it's satisfied. I need you to cooperate. Please, don't turn me away…"

"You _need_ me?" she mumbled. "Like hell…"

He dug his claws into the sheets. "_Kagome_…" he growled.

"Alright!" she exclaimed. "Your beast can come out now. I'd rather have him than you anyway…"

Inuyasha gave her a sorrowful look before his beast fully took control and his consciousness was trapped somewhere in the back of his mind.

* * *

This is the quickest I think I've ever updated. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I promise, things are going to get a bit trickier later on. I won't be updating the next one very fast because, although I know what I'm going to write, I haven't written it yet. But, be patient. I will post it as soon as I can.

Now go ahead and pressed that button.

mew...


	12. Leaving Part 1: Helpless

Leaving Part 1: Helpless

Kagome shot up in the bed, gasping for air. Her hand flew to her chest as she struggled to breath, almost choking in her urgency for oxygen.

'Oh… oh kami…' she thought.

Her body shook with exhaustion as she wrapped her other arm around her middle. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. When she finally managed to get her heartbeat to an almost normal pace, she laid back on the bed.

The nightmare had been so vivid, so real to her. She could still feel Naraku's tentacle squeezing her neck, slowly sucking the life out of her.

'Why would I dream about that after all these years?'

"Inu…" she groaned, reaching toward him. Her hand grasped nothing but the cotton pillowcase where his head should have been. With her chest still heaving, she turned to the empty place where she had expected her sleeping mate to be.

'Hm…' she thought, slightly surprised. 'He must have already returned to normal…'

She couldn't help the feeling of disappointment that washed over her. His beast was always so… caring and loving to her. She felt loved whenever he came out. Even though his beast was often too rough for her liking, mostly out of excitement, he seemed to understand her better when his beastly side emerged.

A breeze tickled the light layer of sweat on her bare chest, causing her to shiver momentarily. She turned to the window and noticed it was open.

'I don't remember either one of us opening the window last night…' she pondered.

A mild throb pulsed through her head suddenly and she groaned again. She began to recall how intoxicated she was before Inuyasha dragged her up the steps.

Her heart picked up as she thought of last night. He had been a bit rough at first, as was to be expected from being trapped inside for so long. Her refusal hadn't helped matters either.

But, she had trusted him not to really hurt her and he didn't. After he 'punished' her when he bit down on her shoulder, there was no more pain. Just urgency and then… lust. Lust and love. The amount of pleasure he gave her… it was overwhelming at times.

After the first time, the first of many bouts that night, she had cried in his arms. She didn't know whether it was out of sadness or joy… it was simply an emotional overload. Inuyasha just held her, stroking her hair and growling softly, letting the low rumble vibrate through her body to sooth her.

She squeezed her legs together in remembrance of what came next. It had been so long since anyone could make her feel like that. She hadn't… done things like that is such a long time. She felt like a woman again. Feminine. Sensual. Secure.

Inuyasha suddenly leaped through the open window, startling Kagome out of her reverie. He was in front of her in less than a second.

He was shirtless and in only his boxers and his hair was wild as if he had been running. He had a couple bruises on his arm and a few scratches in several places on his body. He stood there for only a moment, a look of confusion and sadness on his face. Kagome gasped when she noticed his blood red pupils.

'His beast is still in control?' Kagome thought. 'He usually recovers in the morning.'

A soft whine broke the silence and Inuyasha leaned down to nuzzle her neck, lowering himself onto the bed. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer to him, his soft whine becoming that soft growl that she loved. She moaned and turned her head to the side to give him better access. He grunted low in response, seemingly pleased for her lack of resistance.

'That feels so good… I love it when he holds me like this… I wish we could stay like this all day.' Kagome sighed and closed her eyes. 'But, it's time me and Inuyasha finally have this talk. I can't let him distract me.'

She reached up and grabbed his upper arm, trying to catch his attention. "Inu…"

He kept his head buried in her neck, almost as if he knew what she was about to say.

She squeezed his arm. "Inuyasha, we need to talk."

There was no response other than the increase of vibrato in his his growl.

She tried to turn her head to face him. "Mate-"

His growl turned dangerous and he lightly gripped her shoulder with his fangs, snarling at her.

"Okay! Okay…" she exclaimed, turning her head fully away. It didn't hurt, but she knew a warning bite when she felt one.

Kagome sighed and her head began to throb again. How could she get him to change back if he didn't even want to move? He was even more possessive and intimidating when his beast was in control. And even if she wanted to disobey him and push him off, her submissive nature in their mating kept her from doing that.

At that thought, Kagome frowned. 'It's funny how easy it is for me, a human, to follow my instincts when he can't follow his enough to be true to me.'

That angry thought seemed to reach Inuyasha in some way. He stiffened beside her, but he still didn't budge.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said a bit less gently. "We need to talk, and you know it. You've had your fun, but it's time to come back to the real world. I need you to change back."

He whined a bit and released her shoulder, then nuzzled her again, reaching his tongue out to taste her neck.

She half moaned in pleasure and half groaned in irritation, and she felt her resolve slowly melting. "Inu… please…"

That seemed only to encourage him and she felt his fangs graze the sensitive skin right under her jaw. Kagome whimpered a bit then. "Damn it, Inuyasha… stop it…" she tried to move her head again. "If you care about me at all, you need to talk to me, Inuyasha!"

That declaration seemed to capture his attention. He froze against her. Kagome sighed in relief. She didn't know how much more she would have lasted.

He slowly began pulling away. As her eyes met his, she noticed his pupils slowly beginning to change to their normal golden hue. His expression was sad more than annoyed. As his rational side started to take over, he averted his eyes from hers in what seemed like shame.

When Kagome was sure that he was completely normal again, she huffed. "Thank you. Now… get off of me."

Inuyasha felt a deep sense of dread as he moved himself away from his mate. She had a look in her eyes that he hadn't seen in a long time. Anger and determination. That same look she gave him right before she used to sit him.

He sat on the queen-sized bed facing her, sitting Indian styled with his elbows resting on his knees.

Kagome scooted back so that her back leaned against the head board. She let out another sigh as she situated herself, not bothering to cover her bare chest with the sheet that was draped across her lap. It didn't distract Inuyasha as much as he thought, but he credited that to the fact that he wasn't being fueled by his animalistic thoughts as much. It didn't help matters either, however.

"Inuyasha-"

"Wa…" Inuyasha cleared his throat. "Wait a second, Kagome. Can I say something first?"

She looked highly annoyed, and for a second he thought she would say no; she had every right to. He was thankful that she nodded instead.

Inuyasha stumbled over his words, not wanted to say the wrong thing. "Last night… well, I was… I did some things that were not right and-"

"Are you trying to apologize for _biting_ me?" She interrupted, sounding a bit shocked and irritated.

Inuyasha frowned. "Yeah…"

"Why? I'm used to dealing with your beast acting on impulse, Inuyasha. It's _you_ that I can't understand."

Inuyasha turned away, a little hurt. "Okay, I deserved that-"

"Damn right you did!" Kagome suddenly exploded. "You weren't even going to apologize for watching that smut on the computer, and you want to say sorry for being rough last night?!"

Inuyasha turned back, frowning. "You didn't even let me finish!"

"You just sat there and… you know what? Whatever," she bit out. "I don't want to yell or scream. I don't even want to argue. But, I think I have every right to have to next few minutes to speak. Is that okay with you?"

Inuyasha was once again a bit nervous at her tone. He was beginning to feel that the sense of dread he was feeling earlier was too spot on.

She didn't wait for his approval. "I'm at this… this state of mind right now that's… I don't know. I'm done being so emotional and crying all the time. Yesterday, I went out knowing that you were going to be waiting for me to come home. I knew you would be upset. I didn't know you would change before I got home, but I felt you change while I was out. And I decided to stay longer. I had a few drinks and then I had more. And I realized… I haven't had fun in… well over a year.

"_You_ have kept me from having a life, Inuyasha. _You_ keep me restricted on seeing my only friends, _you_ want me to have everything nice and perfect for you when you get home… and why? Because you're my alpha? Because you pay the bills? How would you feel being a house husband, cooking and cleaning while your wife goes to bars and goes to work and hits on other men?"

"I didn't-" Inuyasha tried to interrupt.

"Don't lie to me, Inuyasha! I know you hit on that girl from the bar. And even if you're telling the truth, I don't care, because you've given me no reason to believe you anymore."

Inuyasha pressed his ears to his head, almost physically feeling that blow to his heart. 'She doesn't trust me?'

"I want to have something of my own for once, Inuyasha! I want a life! I want to be happy again! You've kept that from me for so long. I didn't even want to stand up to you!" Kagome lowered her voice. "And then when I started being what you wanted, when I did everything you said… you were _happy_ with that. I couldn't eat right, I couldn't sleep right… I was so submissive that whole time, and you had _absolutely_ no complaints."

She turned to look out of the window. "That isn't me, Inuyasha. That wasn't me before we got married and it still isn't. And if that's what you want… I don't know what to tell you. I can't be the perfect housewife for you."

She turned to look at him, pain in her tear-laden eyes. "Did you even notice that I was hurting? With all of our supposed… _connection_ with being mates… did you even notice that I was suffering the whole time? While you were looking at your porn… did you ever think of me?"

Inuyasha was speechless. He didn't realize how much he had truly hurt her. He didn't realize that she was in so much pain.

'Why didn't I just say something when I saw her crying that day? She was crying… she was hurting and I did nothing but yell at her for not eating. Then… I left her there.'

It took Kagome a moment or two to compose herself, wiping furiously at her tears. For that moment, they sat there in silence, Inuyasha sitting in the afterglow of her painful words. Thus, he wasn't prepared for what she said after.

"So… last night, I talked to Toshiko-san and they're going to let me stay for a little while."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, a jolt of disbelief coursing through his already weak soul.

'She's… she's _leaving_?'

"I don't know how long, but I'll be leaving today…"

The room suddenly got smaller and his vision began to blur.

"I think I need to get away from you for a while…"

It felt like cotton had been lodged into his sensitive ears as her voice began to fade away.

'She can't leave… she can't… she can't leave me…'

"Inuyasha?"

He began to sway a bit, feeling lightheaded and faint, like his beast was fighting once again to come to the surface.

'Mate can't leave… mate won't leave…'

"Inuyasha… aren't you going to say something?"

The room seemed to become warmer and tighter, making sweat start to bead up on his brow.

'Mate stay… mate submit…'

"Inuyasha?!"

He absently felt a hand shake his shoulder. A deep growl began to rumble through his body, along with a feeling a desperation and the slow and steady drop in his control.

Then a loud slapping sound was heard and he felt a tingle on his cheek. The desperation started to fly away in that moment and his vision was no longer blurred. He came face to face with a very concerned, angry Kagome.

"What is wrong with you?! I say I'm leaving for a while and you go all feral on me?!"

Inuyasha's senses cleared completely then and he tried to shake off his dizziness. "I… I'm sorry, I-"

"You see?" Kagome insisted, leaning away from him. "We need to get away from each other for a while; I can't deal with all this."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, his mind quickly trying to come up with a plan to keep his mate. "You're not leaving, Kagome."

Her face froze, obvious displeasure masking any other emotion that might have been there. "You're… you're _telling_ me?"

'Damn it, it's not working,' Inuyasha thought.

"You're _not_ leaving," he said again, leaning forward.

"This is not a suggestion, Inuyasha, this is my choice. I'm _leaving_." She moved back to the center of the bed.

"You think I'm going to just let you leave?" Inuyasha hissed, his voice low. "You're my mate. You belong here-"

"Here for what?" Kagome interrupted. "So I can cook and clean for you?! So I can look the other way while you watch-" She stopped abruptly, closing her eyes for a moment and then opening them. "I'm not going to argue with you about this."

Inuyasha was slightly stunned, but he nodded. "G-good. So-"

"I'm leaving and that's that."

Inuyasha sat looking in astonishment and fear at his mate, regarding her stern and determined expression. She looked a bit tired, but unwavering in her choice. He realized then that she was still naked, and probably still recovering from the night before.

Inuyasha absently wondered if his mate realized that he was partly conscious halfway through their mating, and that he could feel and hear everything even though he had no control.

She was so… beautiful then, so vulnerable, so submissive. He had been in heaven. She responded so eagerly to him, after she gave in of course, and he relished in every moment of it. For once, that night, everything felt right and… natural.

Now, as he regarded her pained expression, he still thought her beautiful. Strong. Spirited. So much like the Kagome he used to know.

'And now… I'm going to lose her.'

He knew if he tried to keep her, she may never come back.

"You're… you're not going to change your mind… are you?"

Kagome said nothing, but he noted her slight breath of relief at his sign of surrender.

Inuyasha looked away. "You're going to leave… just go…" he clenched his fists. "Then go… leave…"

"Inu…" he heard her whisper. "I'm coming back. At least… I hope so…"

He cringed under that stab at resolve, curling more into himself. "Then just go… leave…" he almost whimpered, his voice hoarse.

"Don't be like that, Inuyasha."

Agitated with his failure and her trying to make it okay, he growled at her. "You want to leave, so just go!"

She retracted, clearly shocked by his tone. "Y-you're not making it very easy for me to want to stay right now, Inu, so don't blame me! You have no right to get mad!"

Inuyasha shook his head, trying to chase his frustration away. "I'm not mad at you, I… I…"

That didn't seem to calm her. "Whatever, Inuyasha. I'm going to get dressed. Do us both a favor and let me pack in peace, okay?"

She abruptly rose from the bed and began rummaging through the dresser drawers, a scowl still on her face.

Inuyasha watched her yanking her clothing out of the dresser, not caring to fold them in the neat way she usually did. He sat and watched her for a few moments, trying to get her to look at him, to see the sorrow on his face in hopes of gaining the least bit of sympathy.

"Kagome…" he whispered painfully. "I'll… I'll go… I'll leave and you stay."

She stopped then and turned to him, still frowning. "What? What are you saying?"

"I'm the wrong one here, Kagome. I fucked up. I hurt you… I hurt you so bad and I'm sorry." He clenched his teeth together. "I'm so… so sorry, Kagome. I'm wrong… I may not fully understand everything I did right now, but I know that I hurt you in the worst way…"

Kagome was visibly trembling then, appearing as if she was trying to fight tears and hold on to her rage.

"So… don't go. I should go. _I_ messed up. You should stay here and I should go."

He smelled the tears before they fell down her cheeks. She leaned against the wall by the dresser. "Inu… no, you… don't…"

"I'll go, okay?"

"No," she said more firmly. "I'll go… I need to be the one."

"No, Kagome." Inuyasha stood up.

"Inuyasha… I'm going. You have no place to go."

"I'll be fine. I'll just go stay with Daisuke. He owes me anyway."

"No…" she looked away, appearing oddly vulnerable. "I need you _here_. I need to know you'll be here when… _if_… if I come back."

That shocked Inuyasha. He never thought she would be so insecure about _him_ leaving. He was the bad husband; why should she feel like he might leave her?

"Kagome… I was… that was the reason I wanted _you_ to stay. Why would you think…"

"I brought you here, Inuyasha. I made you come to my time to start a life that you never really wanted. You belong in nature, and I took that from you-"

"Don't you ever think for a second that I didn't choose to come here. That I didn't choose to mate you. I came to this time because I wanted to be with you, and I knew you be happy here-"

"But, you never thought of why!" Kagome interrupted, her outburst echoing through the room. "You just assumed I like this era because I was born here. Don't you think I loved the Feudal Era? I loved the smell of it too! I loved the freedom and the beauty of the forest almost as much as you did! But, I wanted to come back because I wanted to be valued as more than being a _housewife_ and a _mother_. I wanted to have a career! But, you made it very clear from the beginning that _that_ would never happen."

Inuyasha backed up a step, trying to find words to respond with. Never had he thought about why Kagome wanted to leave Inuyasha's forest. She was right; he had assumed that she would simply like to live in the future.

He had always thought her school was a waste of time. She had finished high school before the final battle had ended. He figured she wouldn't go back to school, that there was no more. He never thought he would even have to learn anything to have the jobs he did. But, while he took some quick classes to learn how to build using all the new technology, all of which Kagome helped him with, he figured that Kagome would be fine at home. There were no demons to fight, no jewel shards to find. Women belonged at home and that was that.

When he saw how many women actually worked outside of the home it shocked him. It was absurd; they worked in places that only men should work. He saw a bit of what Kagome was "missing out on" but by then she was seemingly becoming comfortable at home, and he wasn't about to change, so she stayed put.

But, obviously he was wrong about his mate, again. She wasn't content sitting at home and now he really felt he should have known that. The spitfire that Kagome used to be would have never allowed herself to be stagnant; a mated Kagome would have to.

"I had dreams, Inuyasha. I thought I would go to college, become something… different. A doctor or nurse, maybe… a teacher…" she wasn't looking at him anymore, finding the floor more interesting. "I wanted to help people, to have friends, to build a family. We don't even have one pup, Inuyasha, even after all these years… maybe because we've never truly been happy."

Inuyasha couldn't disagree with her last comment. He remembered being happy with Kagome when they first mated, even while they were still recovering from the loss of their friends. They found solace in each other, relishing in the comfort that the other needed so much.

But they hardly knew each other then, even after all their years of fighting together. They had only just begun to express their love for one another when Naraku was destroyed, and they mated only a few days later. Before a week was out, they had said their goodbyes to their last remaining friends and allies and went through the well, where Kagome wished for the jewel to disappear forever. It had been Kagome's idea to come to the future, because the past made them both so sad. He should have followed his instincts and told her no, that they would stay. But, he wanted to make her happy more than anything in the world.

Since then, their relationship began to take a slow and steady turn for the worst.

"I'm going to go, Inuyasha. Not just because of the guilt I'm feeling right now, but because I know that if I leave, I know where you are. I'll be safe with Toshiko and Hiroshi and you'll be here. I don't… want to be all alone in this house. I've spent too many days and nights here alone already."

Inuyasha cringed at that, but he understood and agreed. It would be better if she left. He nodded at her, searching for the words to say.

"Do you… need help?"

She looked at him, confused.

"Packing?"

Her eyes widened and she turned toward the dresser again. "No… I got it."

Inuyasha watched for a moment as she slowly began to pack, folding her clothes this time. When he couldn't take much more, he left the room, closing the door softly behind him.


	13. Leaving Part 2: Independent

I was a bit sad to see that I only got four reviews for the last chapter, but I guess I can't complain. I did wait forever to update, and didn't even have the decency to leave a nice note in the update. My apologies.

Yes this is a bit short, but I needed to add this to complete this section so we can move on. I hope you enjoy, but not too much. Don't worry, the angst will still be there, but not for TOO much longer.

* * *

Leaving Part 2: Independent

Kagome cried softly, letting the warm water of the shower wash the tears from her face. She wrapped her arms around her thin frame, clutching onto herself for support.

'Why does this have to be so hard? I shouldn't have even said anything, I should have just left.'

Kagome shook her head, clutching herself tighter.

'No, he would have caught me. I never would have made it to the door.'

Her crying increased, the pain of spilling out her heart to him increasing again.

"Why?"she whimpered, softly. "Why did you hurt me? Why did you even mate me?"

The shower continued to rain on her, drowning out the sound of her tears.

"Why do I still love you so much?"

She trembled under the warm water, trying to get a hold of her control again.

'I can't keep crying like this. I need to finish so I can leave. Hopefully he hasn't done anything to my bags since I came in here to shower.'

She sniffled a bit more but went back to bathing, letting the soapy sponge scrub her skin thoroughly. She wanted to wash away as much of Inuyasha's scent as possible.

'If I can just get out of here, I'll be okay. Leaving is going to be the hardest part.'

Kagome finished up in the shower and dried herself before stepping back into their bedroom. Her suitcase was still intact and full, looking as if no one tampered with it. Kagome sighed in relief and began to get dressed.

By the time she made it down the steps, it was almost midday. She took each step slowly, not knowing where Inuyasha had gone and not wanting to have an unnecessary confrontation. The suitcase was large also, and she would usually have his help with it when she carried things like that, so she didn't want to fall down the steps and gain anymore unwanted attention.

When she reached the bottom of the steps she looked around for Inuyasha. She spotted him in front of the computer, standing with his back to her.

Confused, Kagome wondered if she should say anything before she left. She didn't want him to say anything to her; she already felt her tenacity slowly breaking again.

But as she continued to stare at his tense body from by the steps, she decided she should say something. She couldn't just leave.

"Inu… I'm going now," she said almost inaudibly, knowing he could hear her. "I may have to come back for a few things, but that will probably be tomorrow so…"

He still hadn't turned around. He didn't move a muscle.

"So… I guess I'm going…"

Kagome became frustrated now, suddenly wanting him to say something instead of just letting her go.

"We can figure the other stuff out later… like who's going to pay the bills…"

'I'm rambling now… come on Inuyasha, say something!'

Kagome frowned when he still gave no physical or vocal response.

"Fine then," she said, sighing impatiently. "Goodbye, Inuyasha."

She gripped her suitcase and headed for the front door. She opened it with her free hand and turned to look at Inuyasha one more time. Her frown deepened and she went out of the door, unconsciously leaving it open.

She climbed inside her small, silver car after putting her suitcase in the trunk, fighting the tears that came with her anger and frustration. She shoved the key into the ignition and started the car.

"That bastard," she mumbled. "Didn't even have the decency to-"

She saw a blur on her left in the direction of the house and she turned to see Inuyasha standing in the middle of the yard.

She gasped as she looked up the see the monitor to the computer above his head.

He stood there, staring at her for a moment, his eyes slightly red from crying, and mouth set in a firm line, his body visibly trembling. Kagome could have gasped at the intense emotion she saw in his eyes. It was hard not to drown in the love and desperation that she saw there.

'Inuyasha… '

Then, without warning, he threw the computer into the street. The force of the impact caused the machine to shatter into several pieces, sending glass and wiring all over the paved road.

Kagome clutched her shirt against her chest, trying to calm her heart.

Inuyasha turned and looked at her again, his eyes still holding that same emotion. "I love you," he mouthed to her.

Kagome sat there, feeling a fresh wave of tears drown her vision. When she could no longer see his face clearly, she blinked and turned around, put the car in reverse, backed out of the driveway, and sped away.

* * *

Kagome collapsed in the couch, shaking with tears. "You should have seen his face, Toshi… he was so upset… he said… he said he loved me…"

Toshiko came and sat beside her friend, rubbing her arms and trying to comfort her. "But you know he was just trying to get you to stay, right? He's scared of losing his maid so he starts begging. It's what any desperate person would do."

Kagome shook her head slowly. "I don't know... I've never seen him like that before-"

"Because he's never thought he was going to lose everything good in his life!" Toshiko interrupted, giving her a stern look. "Until you came along he didn't have much to lose."

Kagome shook her head harder. "No… no he had Kikyo-"

"But, he didn't _really_ love her!"

"Yes, he did, but he said he loved me more."

"Come on, Kagome. He was just-"

"Just stop! Stop it! I didn't come here to… to be…"her sobs began to overtake her speech, making her words incoherent. She felt Toshiko's arms tighten around her and she tried to move away. "Just leave me alone."

Those arms lingered for a short moment before she felt them reluctantly leave her. Then she felt a weight leave the couch and heard footsteps going in the opposite direction. She turned her body to curl up in the sofa, pulling her legs under her.

'It didn't have to be like this, Inuyasha! Why did you have to change? Why didn't you just tell me no so we could stay in the Feudal Era? We never should have come here.'

She continued to sob into the soft cushions of the chair, teetering on losing her self control.

'I feel so much weaker without him near…'

She suddenly sat up with a gasp. 'Wait… he's close…'

Suddenly, the door flew off the hinges and face down in the entry way. Kagome jumped off the couch just in time to be rushed by an equally emotional hanyou. He embraced her almost painfully tight. Kagome's arms stayed at her side; she was still in too much shock to react.

"What the _hell_?!"

She looked over Inuyasha's shoulder to see Toshiko and Hiroshi standing in the room staring at the door and back at Inuyasha. "You're paying for that, half demon!" Toshiko roared.

Kagome flinched at her choice of words. "Toshi-"

"Did you hear me, dogboy?!" Toshiko roared, stalking over to the embracing couple.

Oddly enough, Inuyasha said nothing. He just stood there with his arms wound around Kagome's stiff body, his face burried in his favorite spot in the crook of her neck.

"You had better say something, you bastard, or I'll-"

"Toshiko!" Hiroshi interrupted. "That's enough! We're going to give them to time to talk."

"In our house?" Toshiko raged, spinning to face her mate. "Are you kidding?! I'm not leaving that idiot alone with Kagome while he's breaking shit!"

Hiroshi grabbed her arm roughly and began pulling her toward their bedroom. "He's not going to hurt her and you know that, Toshiko. I can't say the same for _the two of us_ right now though."

Toshiko seemed to disregard his last statement. "Nothing stopped him from hurting her before!"

Inuyasha did flinch at that comment, but stayed silent.

"I won't say it again, mate," Hiroshi said in a low voice, glaring at Toshiko. She seemed to get the message then and followed him into their room, glaring in their direction the whole way.

It was silent for a while after they left. Kagome began to feel uncomfortable and was about to pull away from him when he whispered, "You can't leave me, koi."

She sighed, feeling the tears build up again. She never thought it would be so hard. He hurt her so much, she thought it would be a clean get away.

'This would be so much easier if we were both human,' she thought drearily.

"Please don't leave me, Kagome." His body trembled a bit and she could feel the emotion coming from him. She felt wetness on her shoulder.

'He's… crying?'

"Inu…" she reached up and tried to push him away, but he wouldn't let go. "Look at me, mate."

He was still for a moment, but he gradually pulled back. He kept his eyes closed and his head down.

"Look at me."

He opened his blood-shot eyes and lifted his head.

"You need to understand something, Inuyasha. I am _not_ a girl anymore. I may be yours, but I'm mine too. And I have to do this… for me. As a woman. If you let it, it can be for you too. I need to reevaluate why I mated you. Maybe you should do the same."

Inuyasha's face contorted in pain a bit. "I know why I mated you, Kagome. I know why I married you."

"Obviously not if we are like this, Inu. Didn't you say not too long ago that you regretted mating me? Do you even realize what you put me through, mentally? I was starting to believe that my only purpose in life really was your happiness, that if you didn't have what you wanted and needed every second of the day I was failing somehow as your mate. And the sad part was that you were okay with that. What kind of man is okay with that?"

"You have to give me another chance, Kagome," he whispered, shaking her a bit. "Don't leave!"

Kagome shook her head. "Don't you get it? That's what this is! Another chance. An opportunity we both need to find ourselves again. Figure out where to go from here. Figure out if we really want to be married."

Inuyasha was silent for a moment, looking into her eyes. "Do you want to be married?"

Kagome gazed right back at him, trying to search her heart for the right answer. "I… I can't say I know, Inuyasha. I'm feeling too betrayed right now."

Inuyasha's grip tightened around her for a moment and his chin fell to his chest. He seemed to be trying to gather his emotions. He cleared his throat before he spoke again. "So, uh… so when can I see you again?"

Kagome sighed. "I'll see you. Please don't try to visit." Kagome glanced at Toshiko's bedroom. "I don't think you're very welcome here right now."

He nodded slowly. "I, uh… I guess I'll see you later then?"

Kagome nodded, trying to make sure she didn't start to cry again.

"Okay…" he let go of her, never looking into her eyes, and started toward what was left of the door. He stopped by the doorway, his head still down. "Tell the fox that I'll write them a check for the damage."

"O-okay…" Kagome muttered, trying to recall if their budget could pay for it.

"Kagome?"

She was silent, waiting for him to continue.

"I do love you. I just… I've never been able to show you the right way."

He then strode out the door, taking part of her sorrow with him.

"You did… once…"

* * *

I don't know... I'm not really satisfied... are you? Tell me what you think.


	14. Suffering

I'm not going to go on and on about how sorry I am that I haven't posted, because while I am sorry, you probably want to read the chapter first. I leave a more lengthy message at the bottom.

* * *

Hiroshi was… nervous.

It was obvious that Hiroshi loved wife and mate. That was without question. Personal and public displays of affection were never sparse when it came to showing his ardor.

However, if one didn't know Hiroshi on a personal level, it would appear that his nervousness was _because_ he was facing such a beautiful, vulnerable-looking woman that obviously wasn't his wife.

They would, of course, be wrong. However, there was no mistake that he was very nervous to be sitting so casually across from this woman, who was studying the board in front of her intently.

He glanced between her and the board, wondering absently if she had forgotten that it was her turn while trying to figure out what her next move should be.

After another thirty seconds, he was sure she was, in fact, lost in her own tumultuous thoughts.

"…Kagome?"

Her dry, limp hair flew in her face as she snapped her head up to look at her opponent, her eyes wide in surprise. "Oh! I'm sorry! I… I was thinking…"

Hiroshi smirked at the frazzled woman. "It's checkers, Kagome. It's not that hard."

Instead of laughing at his slight tease, she frowned and looked down at the board again. She reached forward and picked up a round piece.

"That is… my piece," Hiroshi interjected.

Kagome's frown deepened. "Oh…"

"Here, let me-"

Kagome reached for the misplaced piece just as Hiroshi reached forward. Their fingers touched and an uncomfortable spark erupted on their skin. Both hands flew back.

"Don't…" Kagome whimpered, then immediately looked ashamed. She started to mumble another apology when Hiroshi's hand flew up.

_This_ was why he was nervous. A woman missing her mate never acted naturally when it came to other men, even when said other man is someone she trusts.

"No need to apologize. I think that is enough checkers for today." With that, he rose from his seat and headed for the kitchen. "Tea?"

Still looking away, Kagome nodded. "Whatever you have is fine," she mumbled.

The smile left his face and he turned away.

'I've never spent much time with Kagome,' thought the humbled man. 'But I miss what I did see. This type of depression is frightening for someone that used to be so lively.'

As he prepared the tea cups and added water to the kettle, he couldn't help but think about the first and last time Kagome's mate was seen in their home.

'I've never seen a man so… broken. This amount of pain they are putting each through may even rival the pain Toshiko and I suffered after we were separated. We weren't separated for this long though... Kagome is looking even frailer than she was when she moved into the guest room. It's been hard getting her to eat anything… she needs to see her mate. Soon.'

"Kagome-chan," Hiroshi called from the kitchen. He waited for a reply for a few seconds, but in vain. He continued anyway. "I was thinking that maybe… it's time you paid your mate a visit."

He continued to listen for her faint voice, but the high pitched whistle from the kettle interrupted the tense silence. He picked up the kettle from the stove and prepared the tea.

When he returned to the living room Kagome was once again staring at the checkers pieces, seemingly in her own world once again.

"Kagome…" Hiroshi murmured.

"I heard you," she whispered.

He moved forward and handed her a cup, smiling warmly.

"Toshiko should be home soon; the takeout place is only a few blocks away."

Kagome nodded, hunched over her tea.

Hiroshi sat down in the wooden chair across the frail woman, and looked at her a moment.

'Kagome is a beautiful woman,' regarded Hiroshi silently. 'Though not nearly as beautiful as my mate. There is no doubt, though, that only someone this beautiful can still be attractive when she's in such complete disarray.'

After another tense moment passed, Kagome peered up at him through her hair, still looking thoughtful but slightly curious as to why he was staring at her.

"Kagome, I'm serious."

She looked away.

"Don't you think he is hurting as much as you are? Yes, what he did was wrong. But, you two need each other. I'm not saying forgive him now, but… you're falling apart without him, Kagome. I don't know how you've survived this long. We're human; we don't last very long away from our mates."

She looked back up at him again. "You… you've been away from Toshiko?"

Hiroshi smiled sadly. "Yes… when we first mated, when we needed each other the most, her parents barred her from seeing me. They didn't know that we were mated, but they knew we were together. Once they started seeing Toshiko's suffering they threw her out and she came for me.

"I was a mess. She was gone for a week after we mated and it was the hardest, most painful week of my life. I felt like I was slowly dying. I _was_ dying."

Kagome trembled, frown marring her even further. "I… I didn't know…"

Hiroshi nodded. "I know some of the pain you're feeling right now. I may not know betrayal, but I know how it feels to want to be with my mate despite everything. You need to see him."

Kagome stared into his eyes, any resistance crumbling. "Maybe… I should go see him."

* * *

It had been almost two weeks. Two of the hardest weeks in his life.

He paced the living room, arms crossed over his chest.

He hadn't eaten since Kagome left their home. His appetite was non-existent.

He went over to the window and scanned the street for signs of his mate, knowing she wouldn't be there.

He felt like he was slowly losing his mind.

Giving up, he backed away from the window to lean against the back of their now tattered couch.

He hadn't been to work or anywhere else in the last two weeks. He lost his job at the construction site.

He sank down to the floor, running a weary hand through his dry, messy hair to move it from his vision.

He missed her so much it hurt. He had let his beast take over a long time ago to deal with it.

His whimper was animalistic.

He knew he couldn't stay hidden in his own subconscious for long but... He couldn't deal with it. The pain became worse the longer she was gone. His _soul _hurt.

"Mate..." he whimpered, pain etched into his face.

Why wouldn't she just come see him? He knew she didn't want him to go to her, but it was killing him to be away for so long. Oddly, his beast respected her wishes, but was always itching to run to Toshiko's and break the door down.

Suddenly, he lifted his head. He heard a car pulling up to the driveway. Taking control of his body for the first time in days, he leaped to his feet, barely touching the ground as he sped to the window, hope that he thought he lost creeping over him once again.

* * *

She took a deep breath as she sat in the car parked behind Inuyasha's green Toyota. She knew she was taking a chance by coming over, but she felt she had no choice.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror once again and wincing, she pulled up the courage to get out of the car. She swung the door closed and strolled to the front door, trying to look confident despite her rumbled appearance. Before she could ring the doorbell, the door swung open.

Inuyasha stood there with a deep scowl on his face glaring at her in disgust like she was a criminal.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" He almost growled through clenched teeth.

She was shocked to say the least. She figured one look at her face would inspire immediate sympathy, not rage.

"I... uh... Hi, Inuyasha-"

"What the fuck do you want, Mei? Don't you think you've caused enough damage?"

Mei frowned then, wondering exactly what he was talking about. She took in his appearance for the first time then. He looked... rough. His midnight hair was all over his head, his eyes had bags in them and he looked worn. He had lost more weight than she thought possible in the two weeks she hadn't seen him and his clothes hung on him.

'Weren't those the same clothes he was wearing at the bar that night?'

She didn't realize she had been staring for too long until the door slammed in her face.

She cursed under her breath. 'He must be talking about the call I made to their house. I forgot all about that! She must have gotten really angry or something.'

She banged on the door. "Inuyasha! I'm sorry, okay? That was a really messed up thing for me to do. But... I have nowhere else to go! Kuro... Kuro's been hitting me... I had to get out of there. He tried to-"

The door swung back open, revealing a slightly less angry Inuyasha. "What?" he hissed. "Kuro wouldn't do that."

Mei sighed, relieved. "Yes, he would... He does. Since I moved in with him, he's been... He..."

"Just come in..." Inuyasha cut in, gruffly. "I wanna hear this shit..."

Mei smiled a bit, but didn't want to look too happy as she slid passed him into his house. She looked around and was only slightly less than horrified at what she saw.

"What the..." She muttered in shock. "What happened here?"

The television was laying on the stained carpet in the living room, cords hanging from its normal spot on the TV stand. The furniture was shredded, as if a wild animal had run rapid throughout their home. In fact, it seemed like these... _claw_-like marks were found every place there was damage to be seen. The walls... The floors... Nothing seemed to have survived.

She spun around to look at her host, checking his appearance again to see if he was a victim of the animal that vandalized his home. He was looking around the house as if seeing it for the first time.

"Inuyasha?" she whispered, slightly afraid when she saw no marks on him.

His eyes shot back to her and he scowled again. "A home wrecker came through and wrecked my home. Now start explaining."

Mei frowned then, insulted and momentarily distracted from the colossal mess. "Hey! You were flirting with me too! I wasn't just coming on to you!"

"You had no place calling my home, Mei! I never said anything to you about wanting anything more with you than flirting and you decide that means you're going to 'take me away from Kagome'. And for someone with no place to go, you need to start explaining before I forget why I let you in my house."

Mei averted her gaze, trying to gather her resolve and stifle her irritation so she could start her tale. As she was opening her mouth to speak, something distracted her. "You left the door open."

He squinted his eyes at her, but didn't turn around, "I know."

Mei sighed. "Look, I know you're angry at me, but I really don't have anyone else to turn to. The only people I know are people from the bar. Kuro wouldn't let me have any friends so I wouldn't bring people to his house and-"

Inuyasha ran a frustrated hand through his disheveled hair. "Why don't you just start from the beginning, huh?"

Mei leaned her back against a scratched wall and let out another puff of air. "I told you I started living with Kuro after my parents died, right? I wasn't in school or anything and didn't really have a plan when they got into the accident, so I had no place to stay since I couldn't afford to stay in our apartment. Kuro was a family friend, so he let me stay with him and as payment I would work at the bar. Everything was going great until... He... he started looking at me funny. He would say things about the way I looked, the way my clothes fit...

"It didn't start for a while, but he started beating me when I would flirt with guys at the bar. I didn't know what to do, I couldn't go anywhere. He would find ways so I couldn't get another job and he would keep saying that I stilled owed him so I couldn't move out. I was scared... I was scared that if I tried to run he would find me... has this collection of guns..." A tear rolled down her cheek and she brushed it away furiously. "Anyway... So, I just let him hit me for... about a year."

"Yesterday, we were at the bar and a guy tried to talk to me. Most of the time I only make conversation with you and Daisuke-san because Kuro doesn't mind, but Kuro was in the bathroom and this guy kept trying to flirt. I tried not to let him get to me, trying to ask him for his order, but he kept... Anyway, Kuro came out right the this guy was saying something that made me laugh a little bit and I could just tell he was going to kill me when we got home.

"When we got in the house he was quiet, which he never is. He usually starts yelling and then hits me, but this time he just didn't say anything. I was about to go to my room when he grabbed my arm and threw me on the floor... He... he starting taking his belt off... He never tried to... to do that before..." she was visibly shaking now, more hot tears burning her cheeks. "When I saw what he was about to do I screamed and started kicking. I got a lucky kick in his balls and he fell on his knees. I grabbed his keys and ran out the door."

She wrapped her arms around herself, knowing that Inuyasha probably wouldn't comfort her in any way. She trembled harder remembering everything, the horror in knowing that if she didn't act fast the little bit of innocence she had left would be ripped from her. She knew she had to go to the police, but she was scared of what would happen. Would they believe her? Would anyone?

She looked up at Inuyasha. He was looking at her with a look of apprehension and sadness. He seemed conflicted, like he didn't want to believe she was telling the truth.

"If he didn't like you flirting with guys, why did you flirt with me? You used to do it in front of him."

"I... I knew he was going to find a reason to hit me anyway. I usually just did it to spite him."

Inuyasha's frown deepened. "But why-" he stopped speaking abruptly and turned toward the open door, his eyes wide. He started walking outside, slowly.

Mei frowned and pushed away from the wall. 'Where is he going?'

She watched as he started walking through the front yard, looking down the road, seemingly listening for something. She was just starting to really wonder if he was insane when the sound of a car coming up the road started getting louder.

As a small, dark blue Honda slowed down in front of the house and parked on the street, Inuyasha slowly approached the car, almost as if he was scared. Mei watched from the doorframe as the front door opened and a small woman stepped out.

As the woman made small steps around the front of the car, Mei couldn't help but feel a bit of jealousy at the way she looked at Inuyasha and the way he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her. She was obviously pretty, beautiful even. If it hadn't been for the frazzled hair and her extremely thin frame, she would probably be gorgeous.

'So... this must be his wife...'

They stood in front of each other, both seeming a bit apprehensive. Without warning, the woman rushed forward and embraced Inuyasha. He wrapped his arms around her and started to visibly shake.

'Wow... He must really love her...'

After a moment Inuyasha leaned back and brought a hand to her cheek. When the woman looked up him he kissed her, almost desperately.

Mei wanted to look away from their private moment, but it was hard to. They seemed so in love. It reminded her of the love her parents had even after a 25 years of marriage.

'Do people still love like that anymore?'

The woman pulled away and looked up at Inuyasha, tears streaming down her face, smiling. Then, she seemed to be looking past him and her face slowly became a frown. She said something Mei couldn't hear from her spot at the door and Inuyasha turned his head to the driveway. They were both looking at Kuro's car. He said something short and they both turned to look at the doorway.

The woman's face looked murderous.

"Oh, shit..."

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this long awaited (almost a year!) update. I know that you probably want to hate me and beat me up and say a few thousand choice words about how you shouldn't make your readers wait so long, and I honestly have nothing to tell you that will make you love me again. Hopefully you're all still around and you have some sympathy on my poor soul.

I've had some hard living in the past year and fanfiction has not been on the top on my list of priorities. But, after some a while I realized I missed the psychological outlet that is writing your own stories. I love creative writing and I literally havn't written any since the last time this was updated. AP style is great, but only allows so much in the form of creativity.

So, while I want to promise that I'll update tomorrow or next week, I can once again make no promises. I already have an idea how the next chapter is going to be, but honestly I don't have anything written. I will keep in consideration that I haven't updated in so long and try to be quick. Plus, classes will be over in a couple weeks, so it may happen sooner than later.

I hope you all stick around. This story is growing in my mind in ways that I never thought, so it should be an exciting ride.

mew...


	15. Returning

Yes, I know. Enjoy the chapter and read the end.

* * *

She smelled so… _good_.

He buried his nose deep into the crook of her neck, desperate to be swallowed up in her aroma. He tightened his arms around her slender waist, one hand trailing up her shirt to graze the bottom of her bra-less chest.

A delicate hand gently grabbed his and lowered it. Inuyasha opened his eyes slightly and realized once again that he had forgotten about their company.

_Their_ company. Because she was _home_.

_Kagome was home._

* * *

Mei had had enough fight or flight moments for the day. She didn't think she was strong enough for another confrontation. But, here she was, trying to suppress the urge to flee the house and escape the burning, angry eyes that were bearing into her soul from across the room.

It was too quiet. She wished this woman, whose name she found was Kagome, would yell at her, scream at her, curse her out… something. She just sat there in Inuyasha's lap, glaring at her like she was going to murder her at any second.

And Inuyasha… when Kagome showed up, Mei became invisible. He held onto her like he hadn't seen her only two weeks prior. He had her in a vice grip, one hand clutching on to her shirt and one arm wrapped around her middle like she could run away at any moment. It was starting to freak Mei out.

Strangely enough, Kagome didn't seem to mind one bit.

The lean woman in question cleared her throat loudly, making both Mei and Inuyasha jump. With wide eyes, Mei took in Kagome's expectant face, trying to figure out why she had called attention to herself.

'Oh! She's waiting for me to talk!' Mei realized suddenly.

Mei fidgeted, fiddling with the frayed ends of her denim shorts. "Uh… I… maybe I should-"

"Why don't you tell me why you're here," Kagome interrupted, voice quiet, angry and strong, completely contradicting her appearance.

Mei took a deep breath. "Um, okay. I… um, well I was telling Inuyasha about-"

"Taisho-san," Kagome interrupted with venom.

Mei was stunned, and slightly horrified. Her temporary lapse in judgment could have cost her a place to sleep for the night. Not using an honorific in front of his wife? Was she brain dead?

"I- I'm sorry. Taisho-san…" she paused briefly to calm her shaking hands. "I was telling him… well, I live with the owner of the bar I work at. My parents died a couple years back when I was eighteen, and I didn't have a place to go, so since Kuro was a family friend he let me live with him if I agreed to work for him.

"He was really nice at first, but… then he started getting jealous when he saw me flirt with guys at work… he started hitting me and… I was scared to tell anyone. He threatened me, found… _ways_ to keep me at the house. It lasted about a year… over a year actually."

Mei paused for a second to collect herself and studied Kagome's face. There was much more sympathy in her eyes than she received from Inuyasha, but she still looked like she was searching for a lie in her words. Mei knew if she was going to lie at all, she probably couldn't get it past the woman in front of her.

"Yesterday night, while Kuro was in the back, a guy was trying to flirt with me and I started giggling right when Kuro came back into the room. That kind of stuff happens, you know? He didn't say anything all night, but when we got home this morning he… attacked me. He tried to…" Kagome gasped quietly. "I managed to fend him off long enough to grab his keys and run from the house."

Suddenly Kagome was fighting to get off of Inuyasha's lap, pulling at the arms that held her so strongly that they didn't budge.

"Let me go, Inuyasha," she whispered.

Mei frowned as Inuyasha huffed and held on, making Kagome turn to try to look him in the eye. They glared at one another for a moment before Inuyasha reluctantly loosened his arms.

Before the confusion at what had just happened could set in, Kagome was up and across the room sitting next to Mei. Her arms came around her shoulders, one hand at the back of her head, and she gently pulled her to her frail body.

Mei couldn't move. Her eyes were wide and mouth hung open as her head pressed against Kagome's chest. She was in complete astonishment. Was she… comforting her? This woman… who had been betrayed by her husband, insulted by Mei herself and who was obviously stressed to the point of being unhealthy… she was comforting _her_?

At that moment, Mei realized that throughout all the trauma she had experienced in the last couple of years, no one really comforted her. She was never allowed to mourn. Kuro was understanding at first, but he was much too rough of a man to let her mourn, even in the beginning.

If she showed any type of emotion at home, he would try to beat it out of her. He called it tough love. Working at the bar was her only saving grace, but she was forced to smile when she really wanted to yell and scream.

"Just… let it go," Kagome cooed.

That was all it took for the dam to burst.

* * *

"You don't have to do this, Inuyasha."

"Shut up. Let me take care of you. You're as thin as a toothpick."

"I'm not that skinny, mate-"

"Yes you are, and it's my fault so you're going to let me take care of you."

"Only you can be so demanding and apologetic at the same time."

Inuyasha paused, fork half raised in the air, face blank. "I'm… I'm sorry."

Kagome giggled. "Don't be. You've always been like this. It's cute."

"No…" Inuyasha put the fork back in the carton of ramen Kagome brought with her from Toshiko's and placed the carton on the floor. He grabbed her hips and turned her on his lap so she faced him without straddling him. "I mean… I'm sorry for everything. For the computer, for sneaking behind your back, for…" he pointed his chin toward the sleeping girl on the couch across from them. "You didn't deserve any of this. You don't deserve… I love you, Kagome. It shouldn't have taken all of this to make me realize just how much I need you."

A sobered Kagome studied Inuyasha's eyes as he spoke. A very familiar pain shone through the guilt and nervousness, a pain she saw every time she dared to look into the mirror.

'Mate… why did we do this to each other?'

"Why?"

Inuyasha looked confused for a moment. "Why… what…?"

"All of it. Why… how did all of this happen?"

Inuyasha looked away for a moment, trying to collect his words. "Kagome… honestly… as fu-" Inuyasha cleared his throat. "As screwed up as it is, everything I said when we argued was true. I was gradually getting tired of the nagging and the fighting… the rebellion-"

"But-"

"Wait, let me finish. I want you to hear this."

Kagome frowned, but nodded.

"I know you were acting out because of something I was or wasn't doing. I know now anyway. I guess… I didn't want to believe it was me so I just… reacted. I… I just… I guess what I'm trying to say is-"

Kagome held up her hand. "Can I just... say something for a moment?"

Inuyasha frowned, but knew he really wasn't going to communicate how he really felt at that moment and let her speak.

"I've… tried for a very long time to tell you why I was acting the way I was… making you mad on purpose and making decisions without you… something in me always just… I thought that if I did enough stuff to make you notice me, you would figure it out…"

"Notice you?" Inuyasha replied, confused. "What makes you think I don't notice you? You're my mate!"

"I know Inuyasha, but you… what I'm trying to…" Kagome sighed, exasperated. "Let me up for a second."

"Huh?"

Kagome nudged the arms around her waist until Inuyasha got the message and let her go. She stood quickly, as if irritated, with her back to Inuyasha and her face in her hands, appearing as if she were about to cry.

Immediately concerned, Inuyasha moved to get up. "Kagome-"

Kagome threw a hand behind her and uttered a noise that halted his movements. "I'm fine," she said. When he didn't smell tears, Inuyasha settled back into the couch and waited for her to continue.

Kagome's entire body expanded and contracted as she took a weary breath, preparing herself, then she spoke again. "I love you, Inuyasha. I really, really do. But, sometimes… sometimes I think you want me to be this timid little girl… this obedient, quiet, non-questioning little… wife whose passion only comes out in the _kitchen_ or the _bedroom_. And then…" Kagome's hands fell to her sides, but she didn't turn around. "Sometimes I think you want me to be the same girl you met all those years ago when you woke up pinned to the Goshinboku. Full of life and fire and stubbornness… so much promise… no responsibilities besides school and a broken jewel… but, I can't be either of those girls… I'm not timid, I'm not full of life, I'm not… I'm not, and I can't be."

Kagome turned around to face him, a small, sad smile gracing her lips. "I can't be what you want me to be. I thought that if I showed you that I couldn't be that girl that you would respond and see that your perception of me needed to be changed but… it backfired… I started seeping into depression and self-pity, and started _believing_ that this was all my fault!"

Kagome moved back to the couch and plopped down, head in her hands. A solemn Inuyasha had so much he wanted to say, but he waited. He could tell this was hard for her and he wanted her to say all she needed to say, but it was hard for him not to interrupt her again.

She lifted to press her weary back against the cushion, slouching, and stared ahead at nothing. "The truth is, to a point I do blame myself. _I_ was the one that wanted to come back to this time, _I_ was the one who thought everything would be perfect, _I_ was the one that thought if I just got you a job and citizenship you would be fine here just like I was. _I_ was the one that thought leaving the place we both called home would somehow heal us from losing so many people we loved at once."

Inuyasha sucked in a breath, unprepared. It had been a while since they spoke about their fallen comrades, and he didn't know if he was ready to talk about it again. Thankfully, Kagome moved forward.

"I've come to realize that maybe I was a complete idiot for thinking that coming here would solve anything. Loving each other wasn't enough to make things right. I've come to realize that maybe…"

Kagome turned to face Inuyasha, one leg curled in the chair and the other dangling from the side. "The truth is I don't think we were really ready to become mates. We just… jumped right into it, we never-"

Inuyasha started to get angry. "Wait a freakin' minute! What the hell are you talking about? I knew I wanted to mate you, Kagome, I knew it months before Naraku was even defeated! Maybe you weren't ready, but I was!"

"I don't think you really were, Inuyasha! We jumped into marriage like it was the only choice we had, but we were still so _young_, I was still a teenager, and you-"

"I knew I loved you, Kagome. I knew I wanted to be with you and I knew waiting for the something that I held off for so long was stupid! I was under the impression that you felt the same!"

"I did love you, Inuyasha, and I still do! Don't you _dare_ accuse me of-"

Suddenly, Inuyasha put a clawed hand over Kagome's mouth. She was about to get angry, and possibly physical, when she saw that he was looking at the girl on the couch, who seemed to be rousing from sleep.

"See, you fucking woke her up," Inuyasha hissed. Kagome glared at him and slapped his arm, abruptly removing his hand from her mouth. The sharp sound woke Mei up completely.

The young woman groaned and slowly opened her eyes, straightening up and stretching. Her hair was frazzled, all over her head, and her eyes had bags under them and were still red from the crying. Those eyes searched the room until she saw Inuyasha, then turned to Kagome.

Kagome's face softened as Mei's groggy eyes found her. "Hey, there… did you get enough sleep? No nightmares I hope."

Mei stared for a moment as she registered where she was. A small smile etched on her face and she closed her eyes. "No… no nightmares… for once," she said softly, then yawned into her hand.

Feeling Inuyasha's eyes on her, Kagome turned to see him looking at her a bit differently than a moment ago; it was a look of admiration… and guilt. Kagome frowned and gave him a "we'll talk later" look before turning back to Mei.

"So, we talked about it, and it'll be fine for you to stay here tonight," Kagome said.

Mind still foggy with sleep, Mei smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Taisho-san."

"Kagome-san, please," Kagome said, returning the smile. "We don't want you out somewhere unsafe. I do have a question though… have you considered going to the police?"

It took a moment, but those words gradually sobered Mei completely. "P-police?"

Kagome frowned, concerned. "Yes… he assaulted you. He needs to be put behind bars…" Kagome trailed off as Mei began to slowly shake her head.

"No… no, I don't want to go to the police. I'm fine."

Kagome leaned forward. "You… you do realize that as long as he's not behind bars, he can find you, right?"

"Not if I can help it," Inuyasha interrupted, fist bawled up in his lap and snarl on his face. "He won't be laying a finger on her."

Shocked, for different reasons, both women turned to Inuyasha in confusion.

Kagome was the first to speak. "What do you mean, Inuyasha? I don't like that look… you can't…"

"I've known Kuro for a while, Kagome. It disgusts me that he would do this to somebody, let alone a defenseless girl, and right under our noses," Inuyasha said venomously. "No, I'll make sure it never happens again."

"No, Inuyasha, this isn't your fight. This isn't the Fue-" Kagome glanced at Mei, then turned back to Inuyasha and hissed. "This isn't 5 years ago. You can't just go beating people up!"

Before Inuyasha could retort, Mei interrupted. "I don't want to call the police, okay!"

Both Kagome and Inuyasha turned to her, and Inuyasha huffed. "You don't have to." Inuyasha crossed his arms. "I've got it."

"Inuyasha, no!" Kagome barked. "I won't allow this. I'm not going to let you go off and get yourself arrested or hurt!"

Inuyasha scoffed. "As if he could hurt me…"

Kagome fisted her hands in her lap and stared at him, eyes starting to water. She seemed like she wanted to say more, but she bit her lip trembling lip, sprang from her seat, stomped from the living room and up the stairs.

* * *

The smell of Kagome's tears were pungent, but retreating. The smell of Mei's distress was much stronger.

"I didn't mean to…" Mei defended.

"Its fine," Inuyasha sighed. "I'll talk to her. I mean what I say though, I'll handle it. Don't worry about Kuro."

Mei frowned. "But, she seemed really upset… I don't want to make things worse for you than I already have-"

Inuyasha growled, and even though she could only hear the human-sounding growl, it had the same affect. "Shut up, will ya? I've got this. I saved that asshole's life once… I think I own him an ass-whopping for making me regret it."

Mei stared at him a moment, probably wondering if he was serious. "I don't know why this is so important to you, but… thank you. For everything."

Inuyasha nodded, completely missing the admiring look Mei was giving him in favor of standing and heading toward the steps. "Don't thank me, just get some rest or grab some food from the kitchen. We'll talk about everything else later."

Inuyasha jogged up the stairs and to his bedroom door. It was cracked and he could smell Kagome's tears.

"Dammit…" he whispered. He pushed open the door to see Kagome sitting on what was always her end of the bed, back against the headboard, legs drawn to her chest, and head on and arms wrapped around her knees. She didn't appear to be crying anymore. "Kagome?" he called softly.

He walked in and closed the door.

Kagome looked up at him, face calm but eyes pained. "Please… don't do this, Inuyasha. I need you to leave this alone and get her to call to the police."

"Why does this bother you so much? This is the way I handle things, this is the way I've always handled things; you didn't seem to have a problem with it before."

"This is the way you _used to_ handle things! Back in time it was all about justice and honor and it wasn't against the law-"

"It's _still_ about honor!" Inuyasha approached the bed. "What that guy did was fucked up, Kagome! He deserves whatever he gets!"

"But why does it have to be you?" Kagome exclaimed. "Why do you have to go off and get thrown in jail for some girl who tried to… who tried to break us up…?"

Inuyasha deflated as Kagome turned away, looking ashamed. "Is… is that what this is all about?" he said as he climbed on the bed.

Kagome sighed. "Can you blame me? I know I told you when I got here that I wanted to work on things, but it's really going to take me a while to trust you. I'm still hurt by all this, and while Mei seems to be just a confused, hurting girl, the relationship the two of you had was one of the reasons I left-"

"We didn't _have_ a relationship! I wouldn't do that to you, Kagome!"

"Really? You wouldn't?" Kagome looked at him disbelievingly, which shocked Inuyasha. "Do you really think I would believe you right now?"

It hurt Inuyasha to his core, but it finally sunk in how hard it would be to bring things back to normal, and give Kagome a life where she was comfortable again.

"Our mating bond is weak right now, Inuyasha… I don't think it would make it any stronger to go avenge the girl who claimed she would take you away."

Inuyasha winced, but nodded. Maybe she was right.

"Alright, Kagome… I won't hurt him. But, Mei was adamant about not calling the police. Maybe we should just leave her alone for a while to see if she changes her mind."

Kagome frowned, but accepted. "I really hope she does… I just can't help but think that he could hurt someone else."

Inuyasha sighed and crawled to sit next to her, leaning into her side. She turned toward him, laying her head on his shoulder. "I know, koi. Just give her time."

'I don't want Mei to suffer anymore, even if she is a brat… plus, I don't have to hurt Kuro… but I didn't say I wouldn't ruin him…'

* * *

Yes, it has been a very long time. And I'll be honest with you all, there is probably nothing I can say that you haven't heard before. Life got in the way, things got complicated, my parents are getting a divorce, writing fanfiction isn't a priority anymore, etc. All cliche, all true. I hope you will forgive me as I find my way back. I do have a plan for this story, I know what the ending will be and I know that I want a sequel. I don't usually release story secrets, but that was dedicated to my loyal readers who have been patiently/impatiently waiting for the next update (Speaking of impatient, that reviewer with the nice so not remarks [you know who you are] I was actually writing as you were reviewing. So, yeah... don't be a jerk next time.), and I didn't know how else to show my appreciation but that little tidbit and the extra long chapter.

Oh, wasn't that chapter a little dramatic? Geez, Kagome even got a little selfish at the end! Do you think she deserves to, or do you think she was being unfair? I'm not sure how I feel about it, this story has a life of it's own. Advice to all you great writers out there: don't let a story outline control your story. I have elements that I know I want in my story, but this whole chapter happened while it was being written, as did most of the chapters before it.

I'm also thinking about writing a couple one-shots in the same universe, ones that even if you haven't read the story you can still enjoy. They'll be moments in and out of the story that fill some holes, like the final moments of Naraku's demise, or the day they mated, or some moments when they first moved to the present. These won't be long and will more than likely be the only thing I write other than Raw.

I really do hope you all enjoyed. There wasn't a lot of action in this chapter, but it was certainly a bridge to the action you guys want. I give you guys permission to send me polite flames if I take months to post again. Scout's honor.

mew...


	16. Author's note

**Hello, RawFor fans.** Well… those of you who're still around.

Believe me, I know. There's not much I can tell you that hasn't already been said.

But there's **GOOD NEWS**!

I have actually planned for this day and the updates going forward. I have already completed almost two chapters and I'm about to get started on the third one. I have every chapter mapped out so I don't get writers block. And there's a good chance I'll be updating **EVERY WEEK**! Wooo!

Emphasis on_ good chance_… maybe every week and a half. Hey, I'm a grown up and I have 'sponsibilities!

So I'm posting this author's note so you wonderful peeps can go back and brush up on the chapters, cause it's been a while! **The next chapter will be posted Friday!**

Thank you to my loyal fans and welcome to the new ones. I hope you enjoy everything going forward!

**ALSO**: There will be a sequel, as promised. The next story will be a bit… different. But it will flow directly into the next, I promise! Make sure you author alert so you can catch it when this fic is done. DON'T FRET! The last chapters in this story are promised to fill in some factual blanks and random tidbits.

**ALSO ALSO**: I'm looking for a beta! I want to have someone look over my work before I put it out. Looking over my chapters I noticed a lot of typos, and I'm not going to go back and correct, but I will try to minimize the typos going forward! Only betas with work on the site, please. I'm a writer by profession, so I need someone who likes writing as much as I do!

**ALSO ALSO ALSO**: Just to see if you guys read this whole thing, here's a poll for you: Which character do you expect to see in modern times (Kouga, Sesshomaru, or Naraku)?

mew...


	17. Worrying

Here it is, wonderful, patient peoples. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

The silence was deafening.

…Well, it wasn't completely silent.

Soft, docile humming echoed throughout the mauve-colored room and into the not-so-empty hallway, the happy tones contradicting the oppressively thick tension that coated the air in that moment. Unnerving. Mystifying.

Almost _infuriating_.

"What the fuck…?"

Full, midnight hair fluttered as the lone occupant of the room lifted her head away from neatly folded clothes towards the two very obvious figures in the doorway. A sparkling grin illuminated already glowing skin as her happy hums gave way to humorous giggles.

"You two gonna come in, or are you going to stay out there like I have cooties or something?"

The taller of the two in question straightened from his position of leaning around the corner, a slow smile spreading across his face as well. He was about to step forward to undoubtedly join in the jubilant atmosphere Kagome was creating when a quick, cautious hand gripped the front of his teal polo shirt.

"Don't! You might catch her crazy!"

With that sentiment, laughter consumed the air and Kagome went back to folding, efficient but swift as she packed the remainder of her things.

Hiroshi pushed past the clawed hand and joined in the laughter, slightly muscular arms crossed in front of him. "I don't know if I would mind catching whatever has made her look like a different person in a day and a half… even though I'm pretty sure of exactly what it is…"

Green eyes darted from the still giggling, and now blushing, Kagome to her always-wise husband. She really was getting sick of those two understanding things way before she did.

"Can one of you please explain to me what the heck is going on?! How is it that you look so… different? You gained like 5 pounds since yesterday morning!"

Kagome seemed to be about to answer her confused friend when Hiroshi held up a hand. "If I may, Kagome?"

Kagome's chocolate eyes twinkled and she nodded.

Hiroshi turned toward his visibly distraught mate. "Toshiko, don't you remember how I looked when we first saw each other after your parents kept us apart? And don't you remember what I looked like after… one night together?"

It took only a moment for enlightenment to flash in her eyes. "Oh… so, then… I take it things went… _well_ with Inuyasha?"

Kagome nodded, finishing up with her folding.

"And now you're… _leaving_?"

Kagome smile took on a vaguely sad element and she nodded again as she placed her last article of clothing into the yellow leather suitcase on the queen-sized mattress.

They continued to watch, expectantly, as she zipped the large suitcase and plopped tiredly at the end of the bed. A sigh exploded past her lips. "Whoo… kind of overestimated my strength… Okay. So, I went home yesterday morning and… you weren't wrong, Toshiko. He was a mess. He didn't look as bad as I did of course but… it was amazing seeing him again. I can't believe we let two weeks go by… _I_ let two weeks go by…" Kagome looked down at her hands, remembering the desperate look on his face, the secure feeling of his arms around her after so long.

"Anyway, there was some car in the driveway when I got there-"

"_What?_"

Hiroshi shushed his wife. "Let her finish, mate!" He turned back to Kagome with a smile. "Please continue."

Kagome smirked. "Yes. So, I asked him who the car belonged to and he said that the girl from the bar, Mei, had just showed up, saying-"

"_What?!_"

Hiroshi sighed and grabbed his mate by the arm, yanking her into the room. He pulled her in front of him, wrapped an arm around her middle and a hand around her mouth, effectively silencing anymore interruptions. He leaned down, mouth almost caressing an elfin ear.

"For once mate," he whispered harshly, intimately. "try to let the girl speak. The sooner she leaves, the sooner we can go back to _enjoying_ having the house to ourselves again."

The wide-eyed and suddenly submissive kitsune in his arms nodded furiously to the words Kagome didn't hear, silently wishing she had a tail to wag excited against his chest like her ancestors would have. "Mmkmm…"

Hiroshi nodded toward Kagome again, who was staring incredulously at the couple with the same amused smirk.

"Of course. Her reaction was similar to how I felt when he told me Mei was there. Something told me it wasn't anything to be suspicious of, though. Inuyasha looked too angry about her presence, like she was trying to ruin everything.

"Walking into the house… it was a complete mess. Still actually. I didn't really have much time to clean." Another blush darkened her cheeks. "It looks like his demon side just went… rampant. A lot of the furniture won't be salvageable… kitchen chairs, couch cushions… the TV was shattered… it will take a lot of money to replace everything…" Kagome paused, absorbed in her thoughts.

"You sound awful calm about all that, Kagome-chan," Hiroshi said, causing a still-silent Toshiko to glance up at him in indignation.

Kagome fiddled with the end of her flowy, mustard-colored shirt, a small frown creasing the edge of her rosy lips. "I'm not that calm… I'm actually pretty freaked out about it. Inuyasha lost his job at Tsukikage; Masato-san is letting Inuyasha keep his job at HEP Five mall as long as he comes in as soon as possible. But he's lost a whole paycheck… we should be fine for a while though; I've budgeted enough into our savings to last us six months. His security job will be enough, I just wish he didn't have to work so hard…

"Anyway, the giri! She tells me that she's been living with the owner of the bar Inuyasha goes to and that he's been… abusing her for like a year."

"Abusing her?" Toshiko couldn't help but utter. "Abusing like…" Her tone indicated that she feared the worst.

Kagome's frown deepened. "No… but that was why she ran, because he tried a couple days ago. She said she doesn't have any friends to run to and she roughly remembered where Inuyasha lived because of the time his friend Daisuke-san drove both of them home. She didn't want to call the police… scared to, I guess. Kuro-san, the bar owner, is apparently pretty popular in that area of Kyoto as this good guy, and apparently people think she's… a brat or something, just living with him for free. It makes me wonder why someone wouldn't assume something else was going on…"

"Or why no one saw any bruises on her?" Toshiko commented, eyebrows furrowed.

Kagome zoned in on the disbelief in her best friend's eyes. "… You think she was faking it?"

"Don't you? She's acting like a slut, flirting with married men, now she's running for whatever reason and needs a place to stay? Of course I think she's lying."

Kagome's aura seemed to darken. "Toshiko…"

Toshiko took a step out of the lax arms that were encircling her. "How could she be being abused for a whole year without anyone seeing anything? She works at a bar, so she probably wears skimpy clothes. How is it that no one had seen some bruises she-"

"_I_ saw them, Toshiko," Kagome interrupted, clearly disturbed. "_I_ saw the bruises... the cuts… the… the _cigarette_ burns." Her fisted hands began to tremble. "Old wounds, new wounds… it was _horrible_. They were all on her back and stomach and legs… a couple on her arm, but those were new. She's been _abused_ Toshi."

Toshiko partially deflated with shame, most of the doubt disappearing from form, though a stubborn crease remained in her forehead. "I… I'm sorry… you're just such a… nice person, Kagome. I just thought you might have just believed her because-"

"Not about something like this. True, I could tell she was hurting before I saw the evidence, but this is the girl that thought she could take away my mate. No one is innocent… not anymore…" Her words ended in an almost whisper.

Hiroshi regarded the troubled woman, who seemed to be facing some inner turmoil, and decided a change in subject was needed. "So, Inuyasha… how's he handling all this?''

For a tense moment, Kagome didn't turn her scrutinizing gaze away from Toshiko, but she decided to move on to Hiroshi's question.

"He didn't want me to leave," a small smile graced her lips at the memory of that morning.

_Tangled sheets._

_Skin on skin._

_Lips._

_Tongue. _

_Teeth._

_Kagome really couldn't think of a better way to wake up._

_The nips and kisses that assaulted her mating mark set her whole body ablaze for the fourth time in the last 24 hours… or was it the fifth? She was so weak, she couldn't remember…_

"_I love you so _much_, mate," growled the muscled, lethargic figure pressed against her back as they lay on their sides. _

_Large, masculine hands massaged her bare breasts as he grinded sensually into her bottom. _

_Kagome let out a low, needy moan. "_Inuyasha_… I… I don't know if I can take any more…"_

_Inuyasha's low growl vibrated through her body, sending her to a carnal edge that should have been more familiar. But even after years together Kagome couldn't get enough of it. _

"_Then let me satisfy _you_, mate. Again…" _

_He kissed her neck and trailed a hand down her flat stomach._

"_And again…"_

_He nudged a knee between her thighs and his hand continued its descent past her lower abdomen. Kagome gasped in anticipation._

"_And _again_…"_

_Kagome groaned as expert fingers found her sweet spot, arching her back and digging her nails into the arm reaching across her frame. _

_As the pleasure to her core started to increase in frequency, Kagome clamped her legs. "_Ah_! Inuyasha, wait! Wait… I have to go to Toshi's to get my things…"_

_Inuyasha stilled at that. "You're… you're staying?"_

_Kagome let a lazy smile curl her lips as her turned in his arms to face his hopeful eyes and perked ears. "Well, last night… I mean, I was thinking that… I don't think we should be apart much longer. It's not healthy. No, I haven't completely forgotten, or even forgiven you for everything, but it's been two weeks, Inu. I don't think I can spend another second without you. We're mates… we're suffering without each other."_

_Inuyasha gazed back into his beautiful wife's face, guilt and love oozing from his amber eyes. He then grasped her shoulders, rolling her to lay face-up on the bed and caging her in with his limbs. He lowered his solid form down to on top of her, careful enough not to put too much pressure on her strengthening body. _

"_I'm so lucky to have you, koi. I don't know what I did to deserve you."_

"_You didn't have to-"_

"_Shhh," Inuyasha shushed her, pushing his lips to hers. "Let me… just let me try. Let me try to deserve you." He erotically kissed down her neck, her collarbone, the valley of her chest, her smooth belly. "Let me try to feel like I deserve to be mated to such an amazing… sexy… _tolerant_…"_

"_Oh, _Kami_…"_

Kagome shook herself of the memory, hopefully before Toshiko could smell the evidence of what she was thinking. "He needed to go to his old job to get his things, and then go to the mall to talk to Masato. He said that if Mei decided she wanted to go to the police he would take her, but he was mostly taking her so she wouldn't be in the house by herself."

Kagome sharply held up a hand when Toshiko face ignited with disbelief. "_Yes_, she is with him, and _no_, I don't have a problem with it. I mean, well, of course I have a problem with it, but… I can tell. Our… time together yesterday sparked a great reconnection, better than it has been in months. I can actually feel a little how he's feeling. I… feel like I can trust him. For now."

Hiroshi chuckled. "Yes, your _time together_ has helped a lot of things. As cliché as it sounds, you're really are glowing, Kagome!"

Kagome thought she would soon get a permanent blush with all the memories and attention her happiness was affording her, but she didn't mind. It was nice to be happy again.

For once.

"But… but… what if… but-"

"Ah ah ah! No more buts, young lady! You go in there and tell her you're sorry!"

"But she's gonna hate me!"

"Nonsense, koi, she loves you. She just can't stand that mouth of yours sometimes…"

"You're not helping!"

"Yes, I am helping by telling you to get out there and apologize! You're sorry, aren't you?"

"Yes…"

"And you want her to know that, right?"

"Yes…"

"And you want her to not ignore your calls all the time because of your continuous fussing?"

"…yes…"

"Then, go out there and make up!"

"I will, but I just-"

_Knock knock knock._

Toshiko and Hiroshi both snapped their heads to the door. After a moment passed, a soft voice called, "May I come in?"

Hiroshi peered down at his distressed mate and nodded his head toward to door. Toshiko rolled her eyes and called back cautiously. "C-come in!"

Kagome stepped inside the master bedroom with purpose, immediately searching for Toshiko's eyes. "Was there… something you wanted to say before I go? Inuyasha is on his way."

Toshiko sighed, then sucked in a shallow breath. Apologizing could be painful.

"Um, yeah… I'm… I'm sorry I was so… rude back there. You know how my mouth can get ahead of me. I'm just… concerned about you, Kags. I saw you get so defeated and I just… I just don't want anyone taking advantage of you… so… yeah…" She couldn't hold eye contact for more than a few seconds.

Kagome smile was small and sad, her sigh long as she leaned against the wall beside the door. Her eyes darted away to focus on nothing as if her mind was leaving the room. After a moment, she spoke.

"I haven't spoken much about my life before I mated. Yes, I've talked about my love for the land and how great my friends were… but I've only ever said that it was dangerous. Dangerous… didn't begin to cover what we went through. There was no safety. There was no shelter that couldn't be destroyed by someone… a human, a demon… Inuyasha protected me and our pack to the best of his ability, but I had to watch… I had to watch them die right in front of me." Tears filled Kagome's eyes, but her face remained strong.

"I've seen pain. I know pain like I know Inuyasha's scent. I've witnessed more pain in a few years than many people that live today will see in a lifetime. I have so many… haunting memories of blood and death and fighting… Every day was a fight to live, and where ever there is fighting, someone is getting hurt.

"So, when I looked into that girl's eyes… I saw so much pain that it was too unbearable to just ignore." Kagome locked eyes with a solemn Toshiko. "It's my job to help those that need it, Toshiko, guilty of a crime or not. That girl is a hurting soul, and hurting souls tend to try to make everything else match with the pain they have on the inside. She was wrong for what she did, but I'm not about to let someone else fall victim to the pain I've seen on all the faces that I couldn't help."

A sad silence suffocated the atmosphere when Kagome finished speaking. One mind tried to recover from an emotional journey while two others tried to find something to say. Before long, however, the moment passed, and Kagome pushed away of the wall.

"Thanks so much for letting me stay with you for the last couple weeks," she said when she was sure she had both their attention. "I really am so grateful to have such amazing friends." Her grin was a happy one as she wiped away a lone, ill-timed tear. "I feel Inuyasha approaching, so… I'll see you Wednesday, Toshiko!"

With her parting words she left the couple to join her mate outside. A few noiseless moments passed before they found the strength to speak again.

"I… I just don't understand…"

Hiroshi's brow furrowed. "What don't you understand?"

"If… if Kagome was this strong, if she could survive that kind of… _horror_… how can she not stand up to Inuyasha?"

Hiroshi rolled his eyes, wondering why he had to explain things like this to his mate. He came to her front and crouched down. "I don't know, koi. Maybe she just needed a reminder that she was strong. Regardless, these are her fights. Inuyasha, that girl, her marriage… they're her fights to win. So what we need to do is try not to fight her battles for her and just remind her that she's strong when she forgets."

Toshiko sighed, trying to recover from the haunted look on Kagome's face. "I just… I just want her to be okay…"

Hiroshi smiled, reaching for a clawed hand and kissing it tenderly. "She will be, Toshiko… she will be."

* * *

Did you like it? No?! Really? Is it because there was hardly any Inuyasha/Kagome interaction? That's why I part that little memory bit in there!

You guys are hard to please...

In all seriousness, I hope you all enjoyed and will continue to enjoy going forward. I'm ready to keep this baby moving!

I filled in the blanks for some of those details I left out in previous chapters: what mall Inuyasha worked at, how their financial situation could be dealt with, and a little bit about how Kagome dealt with the transition to and from the Fuedal Era. People forget that a lot of people died in the anime, and it was only because they were the heroes that the InuTachi didn't die as well. Unfortunately, most of them didn't survive my story.

Not a lot of guesses on the surviving demons for my story, but the results were interesting. Hopefully those of you who guessed will be pleasantly surprised.

See you next week!

mew...

P.S. Still need a beta!


	18. Ready

Hey, you guys...

I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed. The story got some attention, but I guess because I'm used to getting more than 10 reviews a chapter, only getting 7 was... a little sad. I'm hoping that it's just because it's been a while, or because you guys wanted more from the main characters. I'm setting up for the long term, so some details have to be filled in.

I got one review from someone very rude who simply said they didn't like it. They didn't even log in.

I'm going to keep writing regardless, but if you guys aren't that interested in reading, I can post else where. Don't worry, I'm not giving a requirement for reviews for next chapter or I'm out or anything, but if four or five chapters down the line it looks like not that many people are reading, I'll probably start over somewhere else.

I love this story, so don't worry. I'm not going any where anytime soon.

* * *

Inuyasha couldn't help but watch his beautiful wife as he carried all her bags to the car. He wouldn't let her carry anything; she was still too weak for his liking. Sure she looked much healthier than yesterday, but he could feel through their link that she wasn't at a strength that she should be as a mate to a demon. He was overjoyed that he could actually feel a link between them that was somewhat strong. It had been so long…

Speaking of healthy… she sure was filling out those jeans…

It wasn't until she rounded the car that he noticed that Mei had moved to the middle of the seat in the pick-up truck. As Inuyasha approached the back of the truck and put her bags in the back he heard Kagome call out to Mei.

"You don't have to do that, I'm driving my car back the house," she said.

Inuyasha couldn't help but feel disappointment. "I forgot about that…" He met her at the side of the vehicle.

Kagome seemed to sense his disappointment and offered him a mocking smile. "Inuyasha you just saw me this morning, and the house is ten minutes away."

He grabbed her waist and pulled her close, burying his nose in her neck to take in her spicy, sweet scent. Even after all those years, her scent never changed, even when she did. "I know, but I don't want to spend another second without you. I don't know how I'm gonna go to work."

She pulled back a little took the cue to pull back as well. "Oh, so when do you go back?"

"Monday," he said with a sigh. He caught an extra scent when he breathed in and frowned. "Have… have you been crying?"

Kagome giggled. "A little. Don't worry, mate. I'm happy," she said with emotion. She stood on the tips of her toes and brought her face close to his. "I'm so happy…"

With lidded eyes and a throat clogged with emotion, Inuyasha wordlessly leaned down to kiss her mate, lips massaging and pushing against hers with fierceness. She opened up to him without hesitation, encouraging more intimacy than they could have on the side of the road.

A hungry moan turned into a growl as a hand reached to caress her backside, pressing her closer. Kagome moaned in return and gave him an adventurous nip on his bottom lip. He stiffened and wrenched away from her, moving clenched hands to her smug shoulders. He growled at her, "You sneaky little vixen…"

Her laugh was loud and contagious, the kind of laugh he would give his left foot to hear every day. He gave her a toothy grin and kissed her forehead.

"I'll see you at home, mate," he said as he finally let her go. "You better be there in five minutes."

Kagome started heading for the car. "It takes ten to get there!" she exclaimed, amusedly.

"Eight minutes then, and standing at the door with no clothes on!"

She waved an uncaring hand. "Whatever, mate!"

Inuyasha smirked and climbed into the forest green truck. "She thinks I'm playing…"

As he started the car he could feel an aura of sadness coming from his passenger. He glanced over to see her glaring out the passenger window, arms protecting her middle.

He didn't know exactly what she was upset about, though he could only assume it was caused by their public displays of affection. That was fine, maybe she needed to get it through her head; he didn't want her. He wanted his mate.

That's really all he ever wanted.

* * *

Mei was nauseous.

It wasn't that seeing happy people make her sick, or even seeing Inuyasha with someone else was that sickening. She never really wanted Inuyasha that much; she just wanted something she couldn't have. It was just… seeing what she's had always missed out on… a normal life with a normal guy. She loved her parents, but they never really approved of the guys she would try to date. They weren't good enough for her, and in hindsight, she could tell they were right. By the time she found a guy that seemed to be worth her time, her parents were dead and she was living with Kuro. It wasn't long before the poor guy was in the hospital and refused to speak to her.

It wasn't fair. She deserved a life, right? She deserved something… someone that cared about her.

She deserved an Inuyasha.

Then again, Inuyasha's relationship was a weird one… always calling each mate, thriving on each other's presence. It was… a bit much. It was like they genuinely couldn't live without each other.

Nobody is that close.

As they drove to the end of the road Inuyasha's attention seemed to be less on the road and more on his rearview mirrors. He let out a small chuckle and whispered, "What is she doing?"

The car that caught his attention drove up on his left side in the turning lane as they came to the red traffic light that he needed to turn right on to go home. Kagome's smiling face found his as she rolled down her window.

Inuyasha rolled down his as well. "What are you doing?" he called from the truck.

"I'm going home, what are you doing?" she said.

"That's not the way to go! What way are you taking?"

The light turned green and Kagome called back, "A better way!" as she turned left.

"Shit…" Inuyasha tried to cross lanes to follow her but there were a bunch of cars behind both of them. "I guess we'll see if it's better," he said as he took the right turn and continued home.

Mei couldn't believe the two of them ever fought. They seemed so… in love and needy all the time. They were all over each other. Inuyasha couldn't stop talking about her the whole ride.

* * *

_"Kagome better not take too long packing. I don't even want to hear Toshiko's mouth when I get there."_

_They were leaving HEP Five and heading back toward their neighborhood and, however foreboding, the police station._

_"I'm gonna have to carry all that stuff for her… I don't even know why she always has so much stuff… she's always had a big bag with her at some point."_

_Mei was dreading going to the cops. What was she going to tell them? She had let some dirt bag, who she didn't know was a dirt bag, beat her continuously for an entire year before coming forward?_

_"Then she's going to probably insist on cooking and cleaning when she gets home… she hates it when the house is a mess, but I wouldn't let her touch anything yesterday…"_

_That a bunch of people at a bar who should have seen her bruises or heard the way he spoke to her just happen to miss any sign of abuse? That those same people refused to treat her kindly because of the way Kuro treated her, or because she didn't strut around the bar in a tank top and booty shorts?_

_"Well, I did let her touch one thing…"_

_Mei grimaced. "I can't do this!" she exclaimed, gripping her grey jogging pants._

_Inuyasha swiftly glanced at her, frown creasing his face, and interchanged watching the road and her face. "What?"_

_"I can't do this. I can't go to the cops."_

_Inuyasha glanced again as a couple moments passed. He sucked his teeth and slowed the car. He found a relatively empty parking lot and pulled into the back, parking the car with a slow glide._

_He turned the car off and relaxed, collapsing back in the car and letting out an exhausted sigh. After a period of silence in which Mei's anxiety steadily climbed, Inuyasha asked, "Why don't you wanna go to the police?"_

_Mei twitched and rung her hands nervously, her sweatshirt suddenly making her sweaty. "I… I don't think I can face him again. Cause that's what'll happen. I'll have to tell them about everything and then they'll go talk to him and arrest him and then I'll have to face him in court… I don't wanna do that… he'll come after me again… what if they don't believe me? He'll come after me and… and…"_

_"Mei, I'm not going to let him hurt you."_

_She shook her head. "You say that now…"_

_"And I mean it. I'll do whatever I can-"_

_"No, you won't. You might say something to scare him or threaten him or something, you could even beat him up or something, but you just got back with your wife. You can't even go three seconds without talking about her. She's what's important to you right now. You'll forget about me…"_

_Inuyasha was silent then, seeming to contemplate her words. "Well… I can't argue with you on that…" He turned to her. "It's true; Kagome is the most important to me. But does that mean I won't try to help you? And you know Kagome won't let anything happen to you; she's letting you stay for however long until you get on your feet, or find somewhere else to go. She's happiest when she's helping people, and I will do anything to make her happy."_

_"Believe me, I know…" Mei mumbled crossing her arms in front of her._

_Inuyasha gave her a hard look, then after a moment it seemed to soften a bit. "Mei… I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess with me and Kagome. I take responsibility about what you think about… me and Kagome's relationship. I talked a big talk and said some shit I didn't mean because I was upset, and ended up flirting with you cause I wasn't getting attention. You're… you're practically still a kid… you didn't deserve any of this crap."_

_Mei didn't know what hurt worse; that he thought she was a kid, that he wasn't really attracted to her…_

_Or that he had used her._

_"I'm… I'm not some little kid, Inu- I mean Taisho-sama. I'm more woman than you realize. And I flirted with you back, I played my part. And I… I didn't even like you that much, I just wanted the attention."_

_She was lying._

_Inuyasha's sigh didn't indicate any suspicion before he continued on. "Regardless, if I didn't give you that attention you wouldn't have felt… entitled to call my house threatening my marriage."_

_"Yeah, I felt entitled. I was the one who wanted to call."_

_Inuyasha snarled. "I'm trying to-"_

_"Plus, if you didn't flirt with me I would have never gotten to know you and never had a place to go. It happened, Inuyasha. Doesn't matter who had a part in it, my life is still in fucking danger and no lovesick husbands and stupid cops are going to be able to save me!"_

_By this time Mei was almost hyperventilating, her wild eyes baring into his, searching for any type of reprieve from hopelessness. When she didn't find any, large tears of frustration welled in her eyes and sobs bursts from her mouth._

_"Shit…" Inuyasha hissed. He put his keys back in the ignition and started the car. "Shit," he said a bit louder as he rolled down the windows. He put the car in drive and cut across the parking lot, sending a whipping wind into the vehicle._

_Mei's sobs were authentic, but she couldn't help but be distracted by the gusts of wind in her face. Soon, she was too busy pushing hair out of her face to cry, her heated face instantly cooled by the harsh spring breeze._

_Mei hastily rolled her window up and turned to give Inuyasha a piece of her mind when she got a good look at him. His mane was billowing in the wind, eyes serene as he headed home. He looked strong. Reliable. Noble._

_Mei couldn't only hope he was as chivalrous as he looked in that moment._

* * *

A young man stuffed crinkled paper into a rustic, deteriorating brown leather book bag, biting his lip with concentration. He swiftly swiped dark and shaggy hair from his face and grumbled about haircuts and ancient bags with curses on them.

"Wouldn't it be much easier to just… clean out the bag, Souta-kun?"

The frustrated teen glanced up at his freckle-faced girlfriend, whose shy, amused smile eased some of his agitation. "I swear this bag gets smaller every day," he said, chuckling.

Hitomi smiled, a small blush coloring her face. "That's because you keep stuffing junk into it."

"And I don't much appreciate my homework assignments being treated like junk, Higurashi-san."

Souta's head flung up again, and with a sheepish grin started to pull papers out to place them neatly into his notebook. "Sorry, Wakahisa-sensei…"

Hitomi giggled, a hand covering her grin.

"Humph," said the professor with a betraying smile on his lips. "You are surely on the journey of failure in this course, Higurashi-san; you have yet to impress me." His deep voice carried throughout the classroom.

Souta waved a hand and half-heartedly said, "Yeah, yeah." Once his bag was in order he zipped it and stood, a fond smile on his lips. "So… what do you think, sensei? Have you decided?"

The statuesque scholar leaned against the wooden desk and sighed as light streamed from the window onto his finely pressed khakis and navy bottom-up shirt. He crossed arms with sleeves rolled to his elbows and took a moment before answering, "Well… I suppose it wouldn't hurt. It would be a nice journey… memories and crying and all that…"

Souta chuckled. "You were planning to go all along, weren't you?"

His wise professor chuckled with him. "I am full of more secrets than you will ever know," he said mysteriously.

"That's what you always say, sensei. And because I knew you were coming I'll bring you the plane ticket I bought for you last week."

* * *

Kagome closed the front door, having affectively gotten to the house before Inuyasha. She couldn't help but giggle thinking about his reaction, and the request he gave her upon their return.

"You would think he had enough…" she said murmured, hanging her keys on the hook by the door. As she hung the keys one of her keychains caught her eye. He remembered hearing "Kagome, Kagome" when he came to her time long ago, and as a gift of appreciation he bought her a tiny bird in a cage to put with her keys. It was a sweet sentiment, but the irony was painful. The realization that she wouldn't have a career and the life she wanted was still raw for her, and she could feel the sad smile she gave him when he handed it to her.

Oh, Inuyasha, she thought. Things are going to change around here. We can't live without each other, but that doesn't mean I'll let him say and do as he pleases. Our mating bond is stronger, we're back together… as much as I'd like to stay in all this blissful happiness we've got to talk eventually.

She turned around to go upstairs and stopped in her tracks.

Kagome took a deep breath. "Kami… this house is such a mess…"

Furniture was still scattered and destroyed, garbage littered the floor, the smell of two-week-old dirt, empty food containers…

Empty food containers…

She could _not_ take empty food containers…

"I have to clean."

Kagome launched forward.

* * *

Another chapter, as promised. I hope you enjoyed. Here are some details you guys might want to look up:

Souta's girlfriend Hitomi is a character from Inu-Yasha, albeit brief. She's the girl Souta confessed his love to with Inuyasha's help. Look up the video, it's very touching. I gave her freckles because I liked it for her character in my story, which I will explain later in the plot.

Also, if you have never heard the song or game "Kagome, Kagome" that can only be explained by looking it up as well.

And, if I haven't mentioned to look up HEP Five, it really is a great mall. I've never been, of course, but the pictures are beautiful. It is located in close enough driving distance from where Inuyasha and Kagome live.

And finally... I'm pretty sure some of you know who the professor is. But, just to make sure, why don't you send me a review and guess?

Or simply send a review... I like feedback too...


	19. Discovered (Part 1)

Okay, let's get something straight.

I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Not just because I got plenty of reviews last chapter, but _because I already said I'm not going anywhere anytime soon_. I thought I was pretty clear about that in my note last chapter. I said that four or five chapters down the line if I'm only getting a few reviews then I'll try another site, but I wasn't saying, "I won't update until I get 10 reviews!" like some of the other authors on this site. I love writing, and I love this story, and I'm not going to stop writing it. **Ever**. But what is the point in posting if nobody is reading?

Not that this is the case, but hypothetically.

With that said, thank you guys for sending me some encouraging reviews. I was surprised by the amount after the chapter before, and I'm happy you guys are enjoying.

The guesses you guys gave were… interesting… I thought it was much more obvious, but maybe not. They made me smile, and laugh a little bit, but some of you were right. I can't say you'll find out in this chapter, but you will very, very soon.

Also, you guys really don't like Mei! It's very funny, actually. I created Mei's character to be not completely evil and have a sad back story, but that doesn't really seem to matter to you guys. :D Just a hint... I'm not sure your opinion for her is going to get any better...

Enjoy!

* * *

Pink, purple, and blue hues stretched the expanse of the evening sky, a gentle breeze caressing the hair of two content mates as they walked the neighborhood, hand-in-hand.

The white lace of a hand-crafted shawl fluttered around one happy mate's shoulders, a shawl her mate insisted she didn't leave the house without. Apparently the afternoon breeze was too much.

"It's so warm, Inuyasha, I don't know why you thought I needed a sweater," said Kagome, holding a vanilla ice cream cone.

It had been three days. Three days of bonding and mating, three days wrapped in each other's arms. Three days of bliss. This was their first time out of the house since she officially moved back in.

"Because, _Ka-go-me_," Inuyasha drawled, smirking. "I didn't want you to get sick. It still gets chilly, the weather hasn't gotten warm enough yet. Plus, you're still not eating like you should-"

"Yes, I do!" Kagome protested. "I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner with you yesterday!"

Of course, the two still had their house guest. Mei stayed to herself most of the time, up in the guest room and away from all the public displays of affection. They mostly spent time alone, wrapped up in their own world and trying to rekindle their lost relationship.

Inuyasha scoffed. "Not enough. You need to eat some snacks or something. Plus, you only had two meals the day before. That's not gonna fly, mate."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Well, excuse me, Mr. Fifty-meals-a-day, but I can't go from not eating for over a week to five-course meals."

"You will if I can help it…"

Besides their obvious activities, they spent a lot of time talking, trying to come back to a place of trust in each other. It wasn't hard; their bond seemed to be yearning for a reconnection. The more time they spent together, the less they had to explain themselves. They seemed to know the words before they left their partner's mouth.

It was even better than before they came to the modern era.

"You won't stop until I'm big and fat, will you, mate?" Kagome said giggling.

They walked a couple paces, then Inuyasha stopped, halting Kagome in the process. He turned to her, complete love and amusement in his eyes.

"Well… sometimes fat isn't a bad thing…" he said, softly.

Kagome scrunched her eyebrows, then her face showed a bit of understanding and she smirked. "Can you not think lewd for two seconds? I'm having fun too, but geez…"

Inuyasha chuckled. "That's not what I meant, mate…" He noticed some melted ice cream sliding down the side of her palm. He gently grabbed her wrist and slowly brought it to his face. His pink tongue slowly trailed the milky dessert to her fingers, his eyes closed as he tasted her.

Kagome let out a stuttering breath she didn't know she was holding, locking eyes with her randomly sensual mate. "Could have fooled me…" she whispered, eyes now full of longing.

Inuyasha smiled as he kept hold of her wrist. "I was saying… that sometimes…" he leaned down, face inches from hers. "Sometimes fat isn't a bad thing… when you're pre-"

"Inuyasha!"

Both Kagome and Inuyasha pulled away, heads darting to find the source of the voice that ruined an intimate moment. Inuyasha's scowl was unmistaken.

"Hey, over here!"

A red corvette was parked a little up the road from where they stood, a woman turned around in the front seat, waving her arms energetically.

Kagome frowned then, trying to get a good look at the woman's face and finding she couldn't recognize her. She glanced at her mate in confusion. "Inuyasha…?"

Inuyasha squinted his eyes as well. "I… I don't know… come on…"

He started slowly towards the car, hand still interlocked with Kagome's. As they approached, the woman stopped waving but remained turned in her seat, watching them approach. He couldn't really tell, but she seemed amused, as if she knew something that was going to ruin his day.

And as they continued to journey to the vehicle, he realized his assumptions about her slight smile were more correct than he realized.

Because of course there was one person he forgot about that could ruin a day that had been planned to be momentous and full of joy.

And that one person was Kiyomi.

* * *

Kagome could sense Inuyasha's change in mood the moment it happened.

The intensity of the change had been so strong that Kagome gasped, her face shooting to his. But, she didn't have to see his face to know that this woman couldn't just be someone he didn't like. He seemed…

Horrified…

"Hey, come here you two!" the woman called when their steps stalled a bit.

The dread that poured off of Inuyasha inevitably grew in Kagome, but what she wasn't prepared for was the moment they stepped next to the car and the woman took off her diamond-studded sunglasses.

"Oh…" Kagome's free hand flew to her mouth.

She was a beautiful brunette, and clearly by the expensive car, jewelry, and dress, Kagome could tell she was wealthy, and more than likely a socialite. But she seemed very oddly and extremely familiar…

"Kiyomi… uh… whatcha doing here?"

Kagome gasped again, her eyes widening in recognition.

_Kiyomi… the woman from the… the…_

The grip of Inuyasha's suddenly sweaty hand was starting to become less welcome.

"What am I _doing_ here?" she repeated dramatically, smile still taunting the emotional couple. "Why do you think I'm here, Inuyasha? You never called me!"

Kagome's eyes widened in realization.

_He… he _knew_ her?_

"I was, uh… I was dealing with some important stuff so-"

Kagome's hand wrenched from his, causing him to look at her. When he seemed to realize why she didn't want to touch him, or look at him, he frowned in disappointment and shame. Kagome simply ignored it.

"My husband was supposed to call you?" Kagome said evenly, sounding unaffected by the situation.

Kiyomi rolled her eyes and flicked her hair, pouting. "Yes, he was, the jerk. It's been weeks!"

"Hm…" Kagome knew she should feel betrayed and outraged, and probably should tear the woman's eyes out, but she realized she couldn't be blamed for being the porn star Inuyasha just happened to like.

Well, maybe she could, but it was probably just a job to her.

Besides… something didn't seem right…

"So, Inuyasha," Kagome said, turning to Inuyasha and planting her hands on her hips. "Why didn't you call her?"

Inuyasha looked at her as if she had grown another head, sweat forming on his brow. "Wha… I… huh?"

"She _obviously_ wanted to talk to you. She wouldn't have given you her number if she didn't. You should have called her."

Inuyasha started wringing his hands. "Well, I was kind of, you know… _busy_ the last couple weeks…"

"That was no excuse, Inuyasha." Kagome continued to berate him in a seemingly impassive way, all the while slowly understanding the situation. "She _obviously_ doesn't like you in a sexual way, so if someone who didn't want to be with me _like that_ needs to talk to me about something so much that she finds out where I live, I think it must be pretty serious."

"Ha!" A small, sharp laugh came from inside the vehicle, causing Kagome to turn back to Kiyomi. "Once again, Inuyasha proves that he is inferior. First, he doesn't tell you he met me, then he doesn't call me, and he doesn't have the balls to address me like a regular person and explain himself." Kiyomi reached over to the passenger side door and pulled the handle, opening it. "Plus, you're _obviously_ too smart for him. Get in."

It only took one shocked moment for Inuyasha to speak up. "What?! She's not going anywhere with you!"

Kiyomi let out a blast of frustrated air. "I meant both of you, you dimwit. I wouldn't keep mates away from each other when they're so blatantly having issues."

Lightening seemed to strike the mates at that moment, both of them freezing.

Kagome spoke first. "What do you-"

"Yes, I said mates," Kiyomi said, smile disappearing from her face, tone serious as death. "Now… get in."

* * *

Bisu Toro was usually pretty lively. The café had food for breakfast and lunch, an open-mic every night, and free wifi; they always had at least ten customers at any time. So when Kiyomi pulled up to the bistro she could sense her passengers' confusion. This probably wasn't a great place to have a private conversation.

Kiyomi exited the car and ushered her guests to do the same. Once they entered the busy café, Kiyomi approached the counter where an overly cheerful cashier greeted them.

"Welcome to Bisu Toro! Our specials are listed on the far left of the menu and the open-mic is about to begin! Is there-"

"I need to see your manager," Kiyomi interrupted.

The poor girl's expression dropped, her homely round face starting to lose color. "Oh! Um, is there anything I can help you with? Did you find dissatisfaction with our service?"

Kiyomi waved an exasperated hand. "No, no. Just get me Yoshio-san."

The cashier gripped the counter nervously. "W-whatever the problem is, I'm sure it can be solved if you would simply-"

"Did I say I had a problem?" Kiyomi was getting seriously annoyed. "I'm starting to have a problem because you won't _listen_ and take your giddy ass to the back and get Yoshio-san!"

The girl's stature crumpled. "M-ma-am, I understand that you are upset, but please don't ask me to get the manager! It's my first day and-"

"And you don't have to worry because you aren't going to get fired," called a slightly feminine voice.

In walked a kitsune dressed in slacks, a button-up and an apron similar to the one the cashier worn. His sandy red hair was pulled into a high ponytail and his sleeves were rolled up, flour coating his clawed hands.

"Mimi-chan, my favorite bitch! You've come to kidnap me!" The tall, handsome kitsune rushed around the counter, arms open to greet her.

"Yoshio-chan, you're as fabulous as ever! And the whole place doesn't need to know that I'm a bitch!" Kiyomi let out a whoop of laughter when he reached her and promptly lifted her from the ground in an embrace.

"I can't _tell_ you how much I needed to see you today!" His fanged grin was genuinely happy as he let go of his best friend. "And everyone already knows you're bitch, Mimi-chan, they just don't know how much!"

Kiyomi smiled fondly at the familiar exchange. "While I would love to say I'm kidnapping you for another weekend getaway, I've kidnapped this couple already." She pointed a thumb to the dumbfounded duo behind her.

Kagome waved uncertainly and Inuyasha just looked confused.

"Oh," Yoshio drawled, looking at Kagome and Inuyasha disappointedly. "I see. Well, come on to the back, I guess. Oh, and don't mind Sayuri-san over there. She's new and does more talking than listening."

The girl shrunk even more into herself when he glared in her direction.

"Alright, let's go!"

The three of them followed the bistro owner around the corner and through the door that lead to the back of the bistro. They followed him down a slightly narrow hallway with bulletin boards along the walls, then around the corner and into an office. The décor was modern and mostly white, with splashes of various colors on odd pieces of furniture.

"Sorry about the mess, it's been a super crazy week with the new muffin recipe I came up with and all the orders we've been getting." Yoshio waved them inside. "Hence the whole wanting to get away thing…" he mumbled under his breath.

"I heard you, Yoshio-chan, and I assure you once I am done hear I'll take you out for drinks and maybe a movie or something."

He pouted a glossy lip. "I don't believe you," he said almost tonelessly. "_Anywho_, just come up to the front when you're done. I'll sound proof the office from outside."

"Please and thank you," Kiyomi chimed.

As Yoshio left and closed the door, Kiyomi took a seat at the desk and gestured for the couple to sit in front of it.

Kagome sat, but a still confused Inuyasha stood near the door, arms crossed at the chest. "I think I'll stand until I know just what the fuck is going on here."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome hissed.

"And the charming half-breed speaks his feelings so eloquently once again."

A scowl full of shock and indignation consumed Inuyasha's visage. "What the fuck did you just call me?!"

Kagome looked angry for a second as well, but after a moment she too was shocked. "How… how did you know he was a half-demon?"

Kiyomi smiled kindly at Kagome, ignoring Inuyasha completely. "Because, sweet heart… I'm a _whole_ demon."

Inuyasha let out a puff of air, seeming to have a hard time digesting the information. "You… you're a… but, you look human. You look human and you _smell_ human!"

Kagome didn't look so stricken, though she did seem like she was on the edge of an epiphany. "Of course… of course you're a demon. I knew there were more demons than just the kitsune. Demons are too strong a species to simply die out in a few hundred years!"

Kiyomi smirked. "Right you are, Kagome."

Kagome frowned. "I never told you my name."

"You didn't have to, I have been doing research on you since I realized who you were."

"You've been _stalking_ us?!" Inuyasha roared, fuming at this point. "Why would you need me to call you if you were _stalking_ us?!"

Kiyomi rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Okay… let me just… start from the beginning."

* * *

Yes, a little shorter than the last couple chapters, but there is good reason. When deciding how the last two chapters of this story were going to go, I thought about combining them, but that would have made one really long chapter.

Wait... did you just say LAST CHAPTERS?!

Yes, I did.

This was the second to the last chapter for this story. BUT, here is the good news! To all of you who just panicked, you forgot that I promised a sequel!

So, while this ends the saga of Raw Forgiveness, it begins the saga for Nama Yurushi. This sequel will take on a slightly different theme, one similar in feel to the last couple chapters. It will also fill in A LOT of blanks about how they came to the modern era, what happened to many of the characters, and who the heck the professor is! It will still be a romance though.

This also means that you guys should author alert me, because otherwise you'll have to search for the story when it gets posted. Don't worry, I won't be posting a ton of stories you aren't interested in to spam you with.

Review, please! I love hearing what you guys think!

P.S. All the Japanese words or names I come up with are on purpose. If you like, look them up to see what they mean!

STILL DON'T HAVE A BETA.

mew...


	20. Discovered (Part 2)

Sorry about that, you guys. I had some computer troubles, AND seasonal allergies have been kicking my butt. My eyes itch so badly it was hard to concentrate on writing, plus I keep falling asleep. Not fun. I hope you guys didn't mind waiting one day for the final chapter.

So you guys better enjoy this. My weary eyes will thank you if you send a review.

**AND DON'T SKIP THE AUTHOR ALERT BELOW!**

* * *

They were both looking at him expectantly, and it was getting pretty annoying.

He had been standing by the door, scowling the whole time, and he knew the tale she was about to tell was going to be long. But he honestly didn't know if he should sit down, pace the room, or tell them to fuck off.

"I said I'm fine!" he growled. "The stupid half-breed is strong enough to stand up for a while, right?" He glared in Kiyomi's direction.

Kagome rose from her chair and walked over to him. Her presence that close to him immediately started to calm him. She placed her hands gently on his tense crossed arms and moved as close to him as possible.

"Mate… I know. It's been a while since anyone has called you that. But, I thought we got past this. You know that you're better than that. You've proven stronger and more compassionate than full demons, and _I love you_ as a half demon. That's all that matters, remember? That's all that matters."

With every soothing word, Inuyasha calmed and fell into an almost trance-like state, feeding off the bond he had with his mate. He loosened his arms and smiled softly down at her.

"You're right. Thanks mate," he whispered. "For a second there, I was my old self again." He leaned down and pecked her softly on the lips.

Kagome hummed in response. "You're welcome. Now, please sit down with me?"

Inuyasha glanced over at the white, metal chairs, mouth set in a thin line. "Yeah… sure."

Kagome gently grabbed his hand and led him over to the chairs. Before he sat down, he shoved his chair as close as possible to Kagome's. He sat down with a plop and grabbed kept hold of Kagome as she sat as well.

Inuyasha gestured a clawed hand at Kiyomi. "Well… get on with it."

Kiyomi smiled uncharacteristically softly at Inuyasha, a tiny blush on her cheeks. "Right. I'm sorry; it's just been so long since I've seen… any way…"

She cleared her throat and leaned against the desk. "Okay, where to start… As you both know, there was a time where humans were subservient to demons. I never lived in that time. I was born in the Seikatsu-mura."

"Seikatsu-mura… the Village of Life?" Kagome asked.

"Yes. It was village created by an organization of the most abundant demons at the time, the kitsune, an organization we now know as the Ki to no Kizuna. The village was created as an oasis for demons because of the war that was raging against demons and the priests and priestesses of that time. Whatever advantage they were getting on demons, it was killing them. All of them.

"I'm only a little under 400 years old, so this had to have happened over 400 years ago. The village was fairly new, according to my parents. I wish I could tell you more about it, but they wipe your memory as soon as you leave. Either you stay there forever or you move away and live in the regular world. According to Yoshio-san, there are still hundreds of demons living there, maybe even thousands."

"Wow," Kagome breathed.

"So, you're saying that… after we left a bunch of mikos and monks almost destroyed demon-kind? And the… _kitsune_ were responsible for saving it?"

Kiyomi nodded. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

"But, how do you know about all this?"

Kiyomi gave Inuyasha a dead look. "…Did you not see that my best friend is a kitsune?"

Kagome frowned. "But… mine is too. Toshiko never told me any of this."

Kiyomi shrugged. "Maybe she didn't know. Apparently only kitsune that are high in class learned about the history of the Ki to no Kizuna. No offense to your friend, of course. Class is mostly determined from how much human their families are mixed with."

"Oh… that must be why her family disowned her. She mated a human and now they act like she doesn't exist."

Kiyomi sat back in her chair and sighed. "Yeah, that whole hanyou thing is still pretty important to the kitsune. None of the other existing demons I know have any problems with mixing with humans, even if it does dilute demon blood."

"Wait," Inuyasha said, sitting up in his chair. "So if you're a demon… and you're not a kitsune, right?"

"Of course not, why would I hide my appearance if I was?" Kiyomi asked, confused.

"What kind of demon are you?" Kagome asked.

"I'm a dog demon." Kiyomi flipped her hand. "Did you not hear Yoshio-san call me a bitch?"

"Just hold on a second!" Inuyasha interrupted. "I thought you said other demons don't have a problem with hanyou! You called me a half-breed!"

"Oh, that?" Kiyomi giggled. "That's just because I'm used to hearing you being called that."

Both Kagome and Inuyasha stared at Kiyomi, wide-eyed.

Kagome was the first to break the silence, asking something that was clearly on both of their minds. "Who… who did you hear calling Inuyasha a half-breed?"

Kiyomi smiled a cunning smile. "Sesshomaru, of course."

* * *

Inuyasha could only stare at the woman across from him.

He couldn't deny she was beautiful, he could never deny that. He agreed that his initial attraction to her was her tendency to look like Kagome in her videos. Having her sitting across from him now, talking about demons and kitsune societies and Sesshomaru and looking nothing like she did in her videos or how she looked when he saw her last, was too surreal.

She was a dog demon. And he had watched her in the middle of an orgy.

As he tried to process all the information that was making his head spin, Kagome started asking questions again.

"Sesshomaru-sama… he's alive? You've spoken to him? He survived the war?"

Kiyomi smirked. "Yes, he's alive; yes, he survived the war; and yes, I've spoken to him… more than spoken to him…"

Kagome quirked a brow. "…huh?"

Inuyasha wasn't sure he wanted to hear what she had to say next.

"Yeah," Kiyomi rolled her eyes. "He's my son's father."

Inuyasha shot from his chair, sending it backward. "_What_?!"

"…Sesshomaru… and… _you_?" Kagome was clearly trying to process.

Kiyomi pouted, jokingly. "Why not? I think I'm a pretty good catch. You should see me without the chip…"

"Sesshomaru?!" Inuyasha was still exploding. "That son of a bitch actually mated and had a kid… with you?! He wouldn't try to be with a…"

Inuyasha's mouth clamped shut before he could finish.

"Yes, Inuyasha," Kagome said, sternly. "Take a second to shut up."

Kiyomi crossed her legs, irritation clear on her brow. "A porn star? Is that what you meant to say?"

Inuyasha deflated. "Well…"

"Really, Inuyasha," Kagome insisted. "Shut up."

Inuyasha looked down at Kagome then, noted the serious look on her face, and promptly closed his mouth again.

He could feel the anger coming from his mate, and almost felt her saying to him, _You are the last person to talk about liking porn stars, especially this one._

He quietly went to find his chair, plopped down in it, and pouted until Kagome stopped glaring at him.

"You and Sesshomaru are together," Kagome continued. "And… you're wearing a chip to change you appearance?"

Kiyomi sighed. "Let's just get back to the story, shall we?

"I wasn't over… 100 years when we left Seikatsu-mura. Probably around ninety-two, ninety-three. When they wipe your memory, you still keep all your relationships and feelings about the people you love, just not all the experiences. Yoshio-chan and I were best friends before we left the village, so we were after we left. Many of the kitsune left around that time because they realized they had no reason to stay; kitsune were integrating into society fairly well. They started working together with the government to preserve all of us, even if humans were only aware of the kitsune. They started employing kitsune in their military and using their gifts in ways to help humanity.

"Anyway, the kitsune developed a technology that at the time was extremely advanced, nothing any of us had seen before. They made these chips that were implanted under the skin, undetectable by x-ray or physical examination. It made it so anyone not blood related to me couldn't visibly see my heritage. Sight, smell, aura sensing… my youki is completely undetectable to anyone but my family."

"That's pretty much like the amulet Inuyasha had made for him before we came to this time."

Kiyomi smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, no it isn't. I can clearly sense your youki, Inuyasha, and I'm sure so can any demon or spiritual human strong enough. There aren't many full demons left in the world, but they're still out there. I knew you were a strong dog demon, even though you're a half demon, and I could smell that you were directly related to Sesshomaru the moment I met you."

Inuyasha was about to say something, but Kagome interrupted him.

"So Inuyasha's amulet is… so there's a chance there are others that know he's a demon?"

"Not just a chance. There are others."

That shook Inuyasha to the core.

It had always been paramount to Inuyasha and Kagome to keep his identity a secret, even though they experienced their initial shock of coming back to the modern era and finding kitsune walking around as if it were nothing. They soon realized that it was only kitsune, and when Toshiko found out about them, it became apparent that modern society wasn't aware of the existence of any other demons.

That meant the possibilities of what could happen if they were found out were… too unexpected and dangerous to accept. It was safer to stay hidden.

"Who knows that I'm a demon?" Inuyasha asked calmly.

Kiyomi frowned and sighed, eyes travelling around the room as she tried to remember. "Well… Iwai Yuzuki from your old construction job knows. He was the whole reason you got the job. Masato-san, from the mall? He's full bear demon; he knew from the start. There's a guy who works in the government that knows about you as well. They're all demons and they helped me find more information about you."

"Masato is a… demon?" Inuyasha said, breathlessly. "I always thought he gave hugs like that cause he was a big guy… what about my friend, Daisuke?"

Kiyomi knew instantly who he spoke of. "No, he's all human. Though he does have some dormant spiritual power he isn't aware of…"

Kagome shifted in her chair. "So I take it… we don't have to worry about any of them outing us… right?"

"Them? No. Not other _demons_. You can trust them to help you or leave you alone. _Humans_… they're dangerous. Especially with that campaign the government had not long ago. Demons being turned in left and right…"

"Campaign…?" Kagome asked.

"Oh, right!" Kiyomi exclaimed. "You guys weren't in this time yet; you didn't see all that! Well, like seven or eight years ago, the National Security Council thought it would be great for the country if any threat of demons other than kitsune be eradicated. I guess they were smart for not assuming all of us were dead, but being hunted down for kami-know-what was not something I enjoyed.

"Anyway, they made commercials and posters and all kinds of crap for humans to call a certain number they could call to turn in someone who might be a demon. Either they got too many false calls or they got as many demons as they wanted, because about a month later they stopped advertising."

"What… what were they doing with the demons?" Kagome asked, hand tightening on Inuyasha's.

Toshiko shrugged. "Hell if I know. I didn't know anyone that got captured and didn't meet them afterwards. There were rumors of them doing medical testing or torturing them for information… who knows? Whatever they were looking for, maybe they found it."

"So," Inuyasha interrupted, clearly disturbed but feigning bravery. "you were telling us about moving out of that village…"

Kiyomi blinked. "Oh! Right… my family moved to a secluded area in what's now known as Osaka and made a life for ourselves, farming and hunting. Some decades later Osaka started to become a more popular area to live and we decided to do some traveling. We wandered for some time along the shores of Japan, then hitched a boat to the main land, wandered the shores of China… best time of my life, growing with in a wandering family. We eventually wandered into India, where my parents still are. That is where I met Sesshomaru."

Kiyomi stopped then, seeming to have more to say, but stopping herself short. A small smile formed on her lips and she hummed softly. "He… he was…"

"An asshole?" Inuyasha grunted.

Kiyomi ignored him. "Incredibly handsome… he…" She glanced at the couple, as if realizing they were there. She frowned. "Anyway, long story short, we were friends for some years, as were many of the Japanese I met in India, and then one night we both were intoxicated on demon sake and I got pregnant. We were both okay with it, eventually. He was a strong demon without an heir and I was a young woman without a mate. We planned to be mated… we even fell… _I_ fell in love with him. He never admitted it, but I knew he loved me too."

Inuyasha scoffed. Kagome listened on, eyes wide.

"But, that didn't matter, I was too wild and social, and he was so…"

"Stuck up and frigid?" Kagome offered, surprising both of the occupants of the room.

Kiyomi blinked. "Actually… yes."

Kagome nodded, sympathetic.

"We cared for each other, but halfway through the courtship we knew we couldn't be mates. That whole 'opposites attract' thing didn't work with us, and there were times where he seemed almost ashamed of me."

There was a moment of silence where Kiyomi reminisced and Kagome and Inuyasha looked on uncomfortably. Kiyomi suddenly straightened up, face blank. "We eventually called it quits. Shortly after that, I had my son, who Sesshomaru still sees at least once a month."

"So, he lives in Japan?" Kagome asked.

Kiyomi shook her head. "I don't know where the asshole lives; he won't tell me. Where ever it is, he sure has changed since we lived in India. He's like… a whole different demon. I thought that maybe he mated someone else, but every time I see him, he's unmated. Just… weird."

Inuyasha shook his head, trying to absorb everything. "I just… this is a lot…"

Kiyomi grabbed a pen from the desk and snatched a post it from a notepad. She scribbled something on the paper, then handed it to Kagome. "Please, don't be afraid to call. I know it's confusing right now, but the two you need to be prepared for anything. I'll help you get a chip, Inuyasha, so you don't have to worry about that… amulet thingy running out in the middle of the mall."

Kagome nodded and smiled. "Thank you for all your help." She extended her hand.

Kiyomi shook it. "Of course, that's what demons do. I hope we can be friends, Kagome."

Kagome's smile faltered a bit. "Uh… I… I don't know about that yet. Maybe after some time… you know, because of…"

"Right…" Kiyomi smiled sadly. "I figured as much. There are few people in this world that I like, Kagome, so I don't mind waiting until you're used to me. Then again, you seem to have that effect on people."

Kagome frowned. "What…?"

A smile graced Kiyomi's red lips. "Sesshomaru… he admired you, Kagome. He thought you were the strongest woman he knew, even more than his Lady Mother. You dealt with much more than the average human could deal with, yet you still made it out alive. He never said it out loud, but whenever he told stories of the time of Naraku… he spoke of you with this tone… like you were demon too."

Inuyasha scowled, irritated. Of course his half-brother would admire Kagome and scorn him.

Kagome, still in slight shock, nodded to Kiyomi. "We'll… call you soon, I guess. I want to know more about how to get this chip for Inuyasha."

Kiyomi nodded back to her. "We'll be in touch."

* * *

Kagome wasn't speaking to him.

It wasn't fair! They had just gotten back together. Things had been going so great. They had a lot of hot, exhausting sex. She had been eating, getting healthier all the time.

Then… Kiyomi.

Inuyasha couldn't tell if she was mad that he never told her about meeting her, or if she was just reliving finding those videos on the computer.

Either way, it sucked.

He had tried to explain to her that he simply forgot about Kiyomi, that he put her out of his mind the day he threw the computer into the street. She was too upset, though, and didn't want to hear it. He ended up sleeping on the still-tattered couch, missing his mate.

"Damn inu bitches… messing with my mate…putting me on the couch…" Inuyasha grumbled, standing in the kitchen in his boxers, tearing opening a packet of ramen. "Wants to be friends… Kagome isn't _allowed_ to have any more demon friends…"

"Inuyasha-san, what are you-"

Inuyasha continued to prepare the ramen, but when he didn't hear Mei complete her sentence, he looked up.

She was standing at the entrance of the kitchen, large brown eyes staring at him in horror.

Inuyasha stood at attention. "What? What's going on?!" He discreetly sniffed the air.

She pointed at him, hand trembling, eyes rapidly tracing his form, mostly on his head. "You… you're wearing… did you dye your...?"

Inuyasha froze, awareness striking him. "Uh…" He looked down at his claws, knowing that even if his amulet was working, he would still see himself as a half-demon. "Uh… Kagome?" he called.

He immediately heard footsteps upstairs.

He took a step toward a trembling Mei, hands up. "It's okay, Mei, there's no need to-"

She almost leapt back, away from him, shaking her head in disbelief. "No… no…" she whimpered.

Kagome came down the stairs just in time to see a flash of Mei's blue dress running out the front door, taking their security with them.

A wave of disbelief and fear consumed the room.

Inuyasha and Kagome slowly turned to each other, wide-eyed.

* * *

_**[READ THIS READ THIS READ THIS READ THIS READ THIS READ THIS READ THIS READ THIS READ THIS READ THIS READ THIS READ THIS READ THIS READ THIS READ THIS READ THIS]**_

It seems that people are not reading the author notes at the end of the chapters. They think this is the end of the story. THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE RAWFOR UNIVERSE. KEEP READING!

* * *

You guys know what to do. Author alert me so you can get a notification when **Nama Yurushi** comes out. Or, you could always search for it. It should be coming out in a week so I can keep the ball rolling. **(Just posted the first chapter! Go check it out! www . fanfiction s/ 9218855 /1/ Nama-Yurushi)**

And please review! I want to know how you guys felt about this last chapter, cause I'm not that sure about it. A lot of information, which can be boring, and a little action at the end. Everything you read is important, so I hope you didn't skip anything!

Oh! And anyone who has looked up any of the Japanese names and words used in this and any previous chapters and sends a review with its meaning gets a shout out in Nama Yurushi chapter 1!

Love you all! Thanks for sticking with me! Hope to hear from you soon!

mew...


End file.
